Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is seeking a striker this month, but did Arsene Wenger miss a trick by not targeting Anzhi Makhachkala’s Lacina Traore?
The Gunners have been in the market for a centre forward for some time now, despite Olivier Giroud having a successful second season in the Premier League. Wenger did bring in Auxerre youngster Yaya Sanogo, but the 20-year-old is seen as a long-term project, and Nicklas Bendtner can’t be relied upon to provide a consistent goalscoring threat throughout the season.
With Arsenal looking to clinch the Premier League title – and subsequently their first silverware since 2005 – Wenger needs to bring in a striker, and has recently been linked with moves for Michy Batshuayi from Standard Liege and Juventus’ Mirko Vucinic, but neither deal looks anywhere near to being completed.
With few top quality strikers available in the January transfer window, Wenger may seek to make a big money signing in the summer, bringing in somebody on loan until then – which makes it confusing that Arsenal didn’t look to target Anzhi Makhachkala’s giant Ivorian striker Lacina Traore, who has recently moved to Everton for the rest of the season.
Traore’s impressive record in Russia – 37 goals in 85 games over spells with Kuban Krasnodar and Anzhi – led to a move to French big spenders Monaco, only for Claudio Ranieri to loan the 23-year-old straight out, choosing to use Falcao and Emmanuel Riviere until the summer, where Falcao may leave – or the club may make another marquee signing.
West Ham were close to securing the temporary signing of Traore, only for Roberto Martinez’s Toffees to swoop in at the 11th hour to take him to Goodison Park, but Traore would’ve been a smart signing for the Gunners. At 6ft 8in, Traore is a huge, physical presence who could’ve been a gamechanger for Wenger’s side. Giroud offers an aerial threat in Arsenal’s attack, but adding Traore would have given the Gunners a real goalscoring threat to use late in games if Arsenal need a goal.
With less than ten days to go until the transfer window slams shut, Wenger still needs to find a striker, and whilst one may come along, there was a promising centre forward available for the rest of the season – yet Arsenal chose not to pursue him, and could be left to play out the season with Giroud and Bendtner as their goalscoring options – which could cost them their title pursuit.
image: © Ronnie Macdonald
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