A collection of attacking talent who may well be on Arsene Wenger’s Emirates Stadium radar.
Arsene Wenger spoke at length during the January transfer window about the need to beef up his attacking options but a combination of factors, including the good form shown by Olivier Giroud and Theo Walcott in the weeks leading upto and including the period that the window was open, led to the North London club not bringing in a player to fill the void.
Here are five realistic targets the Gunners could consider making a move for in the summer.
Christian Benteke (Aston Villa)
Powerful Belgian forward has been the one bright spark of a dire season at Villa Park but there is growing speculation that the Midlands club will struggle to keep hold of the former Genk man and he may be an ideal target for Arsene Wenger as he scouts around for a new striker signing.
The 22 year old Aston Villa man started the season steadily enough but has exploded into life over recent weeks and his five goals in his last four Premier League games have helped to pull Paul Lambert’s side out of the relegation zone.
Aston Villa paid £7m for Benteke and will probably demand a fee around double that if they are to entertain the idea of selling the young marksman.
Having already proved himself in the English top tier there is every chance that he could interest Wenger and a lot could well depend on whether Aston Villa beat the drop or not, failing to do so would seemingly make his sale all the more likely.
David Villa (Barcelona)
The 31 year old marksman Villa will have just a year to run on his contract come the summer and the Gunners may then have more of a chance of persuading the Catalan club to sell and are readying a £14m bid for the former Valencia striker.
Barcelona boss Tito Vilanova has used David Villa fairly sparingly, opting in the main to use the likes of Alexis Sanchez and Pedro over Spain’s record international goal-scorer, this hasn’t blunted the striker’s edge though.
David Villa has still netted ten goals in all competitions despite making just 12 starts and Wenger clearly feels that despite his age the La Liga man could be a great asset to add to his Arsenal strike-force.
Perhaps Villa could be a short term options to consider.
Edin Dzeko (Man City)
Another proven Premier League goal-scorer and perhaps a player who could be the ideal target man to spearhead the Arsenal attack.
The Gunners have reportedly joined Borussia Dortmund in the race to sign the Bosnian, who may well be available this summer.
Roberto Mancini has never seen Dzeko as a nailed on first choice starter and even though Mario Balotelli has left for AC Milan there is still a chance that the former Wolfsburg man will look to leave in the summer.
Dzeko has managed a very decent return of 38 goals in 97 appearances since his £27m move to Man City, a strike rate that is all the more impressive when you consider 41 of those appearances came from the bench.
Stevan Jovetic (Fiorentina)
Jovetic has impressed at Fiorentina over the past 18 months, during which time he has been converted into a central striking weapon, netting 14 goals in 27 games last term and has another nine to his name thus far this term.
The 23 year old has consistently been linked with a move to Arsenal and is very much a ‘Wenger-Style’ signing. Comfortable on the ball, adaptable and has the potential to be a big name.
Fiorentina may well ask for a big fee for the Montenegro international and any successful move by Arsenal will require them to smash their club transfer record, will Wenger be willing to do so?
Michu (Swansea City)
Cost Swansea City just £1.6m and has been in excellent form from the moment his Premier League career got off the ground.
The 26 year old has scored 15 goals in 25 Premier League starts and has been especially impressive when taking on Arsenal with Arsene Wenger seeing first hand just what the Spaniard is capable of.
Michu has scored three times against Arsenal this season and is another adaptable forward who can play up front in a central striking role as well as in a supporting role, which may well be just where Wenger could choose to use the former Rayo Vallecano man.
An offer of £10m plus may well be one that the South Wales side could struggle to turn down, especially if Michu was to push for a Liberty Stadium exit.
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