MADRID, SPAIN - JANUARY 21: Karim Benzema of Real Madrid looks on during the La Liga match between Real Madrid CF and Malaga CF at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on January 21, 2017 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by fotopress/Getty Images)
Arsenal Transfer Rumors: Top 5 Elite Strikers Open For Summer Move
by Josh Sippie
Arsenal may not need a striker anymore, but they can definitely us an upgrade in the attack after seeing the title falter again. Here are the options.
Arsenal (Photo by fotopress/Getty Images)
Arsenal’s title challenged faltered all too early yet again and now, barring some miracle, they are going to have to settle with fighting it out for a Champions League place. Same old same old.
Related: Arsenal’s 30 Greatest Players Ever
You look at this team on paper and there are very few positions that you can point to and identify as absolutely needing an upgrade. I’d love to see a solid wide attacker or a switch to a 4-4-2 formation, but beyond that (and a keeper upgrade) I think the personnel is here, at least when it comes to ability.
That being said, if the shift to 4-4-2 is made, landing another striker could be massive and, unlike last summer, there look to be five (count’em, five) elite strikers that are either admitting they will be looking for something new, or look likely to be looking for new homes this summer.
They won’t be cheap, but pairing them with an in-form Welbeck, a bruising Giroud or a linking Lucas could be magical.
This obviously becomes an even bigger necessity if Alexis skedaddles.
Anyway, we will start the top five rankings with the guy I’d least like to see.
5. Karim Benzema
One of the criteria I think we really need to be hounding for is a leader. Sol Campbell was right, no one was stepping up to take charge when Chelsea were dissecting us. Unfortunately, few guys on this list look to be out and out leaders.
Especially this guy.
Karim Benzema is a fantastic striker. A finisher through and through. But After his sex tape scandal that kept him out of the Euros, he has disappeared from the face of the earth, struggled at Madrid and has subsequently been heavily tied to a getaway.
But for a guy that will be turning 30 soon, I don’t see him worth the price tag. He is elite and definitely knows how to poke home a goal or twelve, but is he what the Gunners need? Not really. Not when you consider the other guys on this list.
Speaking of, let’s get to those other guys. On to No. 4.
Arsenal’s </a>title challenged faltered all too early yet again and now, barring some miracle, they are going to have to settle with fighting it out for a Champions League place. Same old same old.</p>
<h4>Related: <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2017/02/08/arsenal-transfer-rumors-5-elite-strikers-available/"https://paininthearsenal.com/2015/11/28/30-greatest-arsenal-players/">Arsenal’s 30 Greatest Players Ever</a></h4>
<p>You look at this team on paper and there are very few positions that you can point to and identify as absolutely needing an upgrade. I’d love to see a solid wide attacker or a switch to a 4-4-2 formation, but beyond that (and a keeper upgrade) I think the personnel is here, at least when it comes to ability.</p>
<p>That being said, if the shift to 4-4-2 is made, landing another striker could be massive and, unlike last summer, there look to be five (count’em, <em>five)</em> elite strikers that are either admitting they will be looking for something new, or look likely to be looking for new homes this summer.</p>
<p>They won’t be cheap, but pairing them with an in-form Welbeck, a bruising Giroud or a linking Lucas could be magical.</p>
<p>This obviously becomes an even bigger necessity if Alexis skedaddles.</p>
<p>Anyway, we will start the top five rankings with the guy I’d least like to see.</p>
<h3 style="font-size:34px;">5. Karim Benzema</h3>
<p>One of the criteria I think we really need to be hounding for is a leader. Sol Campbell was right, no one was stepping up to take charge when Chelsea were dissecting us. Unfortunately, few guys on this list look to be out and out leaders.</p>
<p>Especially this guy.</p>
<p>Karim Benzema is a fantastic striker. A finisher through and through. But After his sex tape scandal that kept him out of the Euros, he has disappeared from the face of the earth, struggled at Madrid and has subsequently been <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2017/02/08/arsenal-transfer-rumors-5-elite-strikers-available/"https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/football/2791240/arsenal-karim-benzema-real-madrid/">heavily tied to a getaway</a>.</p>
<p>But for a guy that will be turning 30 soon, I don’t see him worth the price tag. He is elite and definitely knows how to poke home a goal or twelve, but is he what the Gunners need? Not really. Not when you consider the other guys on this list.</p>
<p>Speaking of, let’s get to those other guys. On to No. 4.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #c01f2f" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2017/02/08/arsenal-transfer-rumors-5-elite-strikers-available/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> 4. Get greasy </a>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-54834" src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2017/02/08/arsenal-transfer-rumors-5-elite-strikers-available/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_389,w_590/https%3A%2F%2Fpaininthearsenal.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F01%2F631450290-club-atletico-de-madrid-v-las-palmas-copa-del-rey-round-of-16-second-leg-850x560.jpg" alt="Arsenal, Antoine Griezmann" width="590" height="389"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:590px;">(Photo by Oscar Gonzalez/NurPhoto via Getty Images)</p>
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<h3 style="font-size:34px;">4. Antoine Griezmann</h3>
<p>I know, I never thought I’d rank him so low either. But there’s two reasons why. First of all, he’s probably the least likely on this list to move. While there is always going to be chatter about how he said he could love to come to the Premier League, he still has a really good thing going at Atletico Madrid.</p>
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<p>Second of all, all of the<a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2017/02/08/arsenal-transfer-rumors-5-elite-strikers-available/"http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-4196488/Man-Utd-transfer-news-Griezmann-s-advisor-talks-MUFC-move.html"> voices won’t shut up</a> about a potential move to Manchester United, which would just be the worst thing ever.</p>
<p>But in terms of fit, I’m beginning to raise some questions as well. Especially if we are thinking in terms of replacing Alexis. Griezmann, like Benzema, is a bonafide scorer who knows how to do one thing incredibly well – shoot the ball.</p>
<p>He’s a proven finisher and there are few better.</p>
<p>But in terms of the other guys on this list, I’m not convinced their isn’t a better option. Of course, I might just be trying to soften the blow when Griezmann ends up at United with his favorite No. 7 shirt like Beckham wore.</p>
<p>On to No. 3, who just won’t go away.</p>
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<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:590px;">(Photo by Elyxandro Cegarra/NurPhoto via Getty Images)</p>
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<h3 style="font-size:34px;">3. Alexandre Lacazette</h3>
<p>Lacazette is a fun rumor to follow. He has <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2017/02/08/arsenal-transfer-rumors-5-elite-strikers-available/"http://www.espnfc.us/story/3055102/alexandre-lacazette-time-is-right-to-leave-lyon-for-new-challenge">finally admitted</a> that it is time to leave Ligue 1 and as such, Arsenal got roped into the same conversation that they never left.</p>
<p>The Frenchman has been tied to the Gunners since his breakout 2014/15 campaign. But in typical Lyon fashion, club president Jean-Michel Aulas used his skills as a used car salesman to drive the price up and drive all suitors away.</p>
<p>And it looked to be a bullet dodged when Lacazette got off to a slow follow-up campaign. Naturally though, when questions are asked, answers are had and he finished incredibly strong.</p>
<p>This year, <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2017/02/08/arsenal-transfer-rumors-5-elite-strikers-available/"https://www.whoscored.com/Players/73078/History/Alexandre-Lacazette">he has </a>18 goals in 1400 minutes. So yeah, it’s probably time to go. He’s outgrown Ligue 1 and needs a challenge because clearly they can’t stop him anymore.</p>
<p>So why not Arsenal? He will be turning 26 this summer, right in to the “prime” of his career. His speed would be something that Arsenal can absolutely use at the front of the formation. Especially if they switch to a 4-4-2 (seriously, can they please?).</p>
<p>Lacazette and Welbeck up front? Tasty.</p>
<p>Anyway, even more tasty is No. 2.</p>
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<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:590px;">(Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)</p>
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<h3 style="font-size:34px;">2. Sergio Aguero</h3>
<p>There was a time in my life where I would be spiting this rumor because he’s “a City man”. But I’ve grown more practical in my age. Sergio Aguero has been subtly replaced at Manchester City, as Pep Guardiola has given the spot to wonder kid Gabriel Jesus, who has scored three goals in his first two matches.</p>
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<p>Meanwhile, Aguero was on the bench, watching.</p>
<p>Rumors are clashing over whether Aguero will stay and fight for his spot, but given Pep Guardiola’s <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2017/02/08/arsenal-transfer-rumors-5-elite-strikers-available/"https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2017/feb/06/pep-guardiola-sergio-aguero-manchester-city-sameul-etoo-barcelona">history, it might be in the Argentine’s best interest to get out while he can.</p>
<p>Whether the Pep will sell to Arsenal or not is another story and not the story I am here to talk about. What I am here to talk about is all the ways this would be amazing. Wenger has said that he thinks Alexis can be our Aguero. So why not just make Aguero be our Aguero and let Alexis be our Alexis? Seems to make sense to me.</p>
<p>Plus, no one else on this list can answer in the affirmative when asked “can you do it on a rainy night in Stoke?”</p>
<p>Aguero can. He’s been here. He’s done that. So come to Arsenal and continue being here and doing that.</p>
<p>All that being said, no one beats No. 1!</p>
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<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:590px;">(Photo by Maja Hitij/Bongarts/Getty Images)</p>
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<h3 style="font-size:34px;">1. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang</h3>
<p>“If I want to go to the next level, I need to leave in summer,” the Gabonese striker said, via<a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2017/02/08/arsenal-transfer-rumors-5-elite-strikers-available/"http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/transfers/pierre-emerick-aubameyang-admits-he-wants-summer-transfer-with-real-madrid-and-arsenal-trailing-a7556021.html"> the Independent</a>.</p><div class="widget fs_ads"> <div class="fs_ad_widget-ad" style="margin:0 auto; width: 300px;"> <div class="fs-ll-ad" data-ad-type="minutemedia_slideshow_inline_300x250__desktop__tablet" data-vendor="minutemedia">
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<p>Just ignore the second part about how playing for Real Madrid would be a dream. Even though that is something serious that we need to consider. I’m going to live in a fantasy and ignore it.</p>
<p>Aubameyang has finally opened the door to his own exit and Arsenal have to be there with the Manchester City’s and the Liverpool’s who are inevitably going to go after him. Aubameyang is a ruthless killer of the opposing net who <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2017/02/08/arsenal-transfer-rumors-5-elite-strikers-available/"https://www.whoscored.com/Players/44120/">never stops scoring</a>. His blazing speed and unbelievable levels of athleticism would go insanely well with Danny Welbeck.</p>
<p>Just take a moment to dream about that combination. Because I am as I write.</p>
<p>The cost would be astronomical, but so too was Dennis Bergkamp’s when Bruce Rioch landed him. I think that worked out okay.</p>
<p>Sometimes spending a lot of money is the best way to ensure an upgrade. Aubameyang is an upgrade and it would be a sure win to invite him to play alongside Alexis and Welbeck and the longball experts of Ozil and Xhaka.</p>
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