Could 12-goal forward solve Arsenal or Chelsea’s striker struggles?

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Alan Pardew thinks Loic Remy becomes “harder to sign” with every goal he scores. Is it time for a step up?

The Frenchman has netted 12 times for Newcastle this season, often striking at vital moments – just as he did against Aston Villa yesterday.

But the 27-year-old is only at St. James’ Park on loan from QPR – and boss Pardew is apprehensive about his chances of signing Remy on a full-time basis.

“He is going to be hot property and will get a lot of headlines,” Pardew told reporters. “His goals could make it harder to buy him. Perhaps I will leave him out of the next 11 games!”

So if the Frenchman ends up evading the Magpies’ reach, who could snap him up from QPR?

Two immediate candidates come to mind: Arsenal, who only have Yaya Sanogo and Nicklas Bendtner as support for Olivier Giroud up top, and Chelsea, whose front three have been misfiring all campaign.

A look at Remy’s Opta stats showcases his ability in front of goal. Twelve Premier League strikes for the season makes him the division’s fifth-highest scorer, while his goals have come at least once every two games on average.

Compare that with the above list of Arsenal and Chelsea’s front men.

In the case of the Blues, the benefits of a move for Remy would not be hard to see. Not only does the 27-year-old average less minutes per goal than all of Chelsea’s strikers, he has more league goals than all three of them put together.

For the Gunners, meanwhile, Remy has as many goals as Giroud this season – in three less appearances. The Newcastle man has, though, registered five less assists, while the versatile Lukas Podolski has averaged less minutes per goal in his various playing positions under Arsene Wenger.

But the Frenchman would still clearly add value at the Emirates Stadium. And Wenger, surely, would be delighted at the prospect of two strikers of similar ability vying for a place in Arsenal’s starting XI.

Both London sides, then, would hugely profit from the 27-year-old’s quality. And such is the dearth of available top-class strikers in the modern game that Remy can be considered a must-have for either of them.

Might a bidding war commence this summer?