Arsenal striker link makes NO sense

At this time of the year, every club goes ahead with their plans for a new striker. As we wrote earlier, every club goes around trying to find a striker who can convert that 15 goals to 20 and may be to 25. Getting a striker who can give you 25 goals a season is gold dust. And with very few strikers available, every club is being linked with every other striker. Result? Even those strikers who are third-choice at their clubs are linked with big money moves.

Yes, we are talking about the Juventus Spanish striker Fernando Llorente. There is no doubt that he is way down the pecking order at the Italian club. He is so much down the order that even the sale of Carlos Tevez couldn’t lift him higher in the club’s plans for the next season. No wonder then that Juventus is trying to offload him this transfer window.

For Llorente, this is a new low. He rose up the junior levels at Athletic Bilbao and soon became their first-choice forward. Llorente soon was one of the hot shot forwards widely followed by many clubs across the continent. This led to him refusing to sign a new deal with Bilbao in 2012. The Basque club then went on to freeze the striker and for almost one year he was banished to train with the youth squad. He was allowed to sign for Juventus only after his contract expired in July 2013.

Llorente could never regain the form with Juventus. Though he scored 18 goals in all competitions in 2013-14 season, he was never their first-choice. His form further deteriorated last year and he ended up with just 9 goals. The emergence of Alvaro Morata and the latest signings of Mario Mandzukic, Paulo Dybala and even Simone Zaza pushed Llorente to the exit door.

The big question now is will Arsenal benefit from the signing of Llorente? It is difficult to discard the goals he scored for Athletic or even for Juventus. At the same time, it is difficult to discard the fact that he is way past his prime. Signing him could be similar to what Manchester United did with Radamel Falcao last season – thinking that a past-proven striker will give them goals.

Llorente could not be more than a backup striker at Arsenal, even if he is signed. But for that, the club already has Danny Welbeck or even Chuba Akpom. If Wenger wants to have more goals, he should wash his hands off Llorente and sign a proven striker. Someone who can still give you at least 25 goals a season!

Sridhar

Tags Juventus Llorente

28 Comments

  1. funny how the article points out that lorente scored 18 goals in his debut season and he wasn’t even a starter yet our big guy has never scored more than 16 in the 3 seasons he has been a starter for us…if that doesn’t proof how average he is, then giroud must have confessing powers and has confessed you so you probably love him deeply…we dont need lorente maybe benzema but i prefer lewandowski

    1. Llorente had 18 goals in all competitions. Giroud had 16 in the EPL. And at some point, he scored 21 goals in all competition. I’m not saying OG12 is WC but you’ve got to say the right thing.

    2. to be frank ……. I’m strating to hate this Benzema to Arsenal rumour mill……don’t care if y’all call him world class or not…….pissed off !

  2. I’m just going to let this be one of many rumours and only get upset IF it happens

    I’m Still holding faith that Wenger will get someone like Benzema, lacazette, Cavani, Aubmeyang, Reus, Pedro, Greizmann, draxler, etc.

    With both Welbeck and Alexis out for the start of the season Wenger MUST realise the importance of getting a top forward now, surely

    1. Wenger has single handedly brought these club to its knees performance-wise….teams no longer fear arsenal and to make the matter worst, the other top teams especially chelsea have married us on the pitch…we are now simply a top four club who go nowhere in cl…i wish we had built the stadium before wenger’s success days because that way the manager would have a lot of pressure to deliver…but since you show him that he is the best and even build him a stature, what can stop him from being egoistic and stubborn….he is a genius at toying with the akb’s venerable minds

    2. I agree that we need to add another top forward before the window closes. But our first fixtures aren’t exactly troublesome. We have Theo, Giroud, Wilshere, Ramsey, Ox who are all capable of contributing on the flanks or at striker. Don’t know if you watched much of last season, but there are three names added to those options we didn’t have for the majority of last season… And somehow, magically managed to win a few games!

  3. I wonder why people keep fantacising about Lewandowski, he might not be a bigger name but he’s as impossible to buy (this transfer window) just as Messi & Cr7 are…wait a moment, he plays for a better team (bitter truth), he’s first choice so why the hell would he come to Arsenal??? I’d give much time and fantasy to Benz talks.
    Cant believe Juve has four strikers (three which are really really good) and we’r now liked with presumably the fourth choice of the four…i wouldn’t blame the medias anyway, Wenger gives them the chance to humiliate we fans. Llorente??? What da hell!!!

  4. Only 2 players Wenger will sign if availible are Reus and Benz, this is first Lewandowskis season why would he leave? I doubt Wenger rates Cavani and probably he wouldnt offer him 200 p/w, as much we fans rate Lacazette, Wenger wont sign him, cuz he doesnt see him as an upgrade to overall team, so that leaves Reus or Benzema. I doubt Lord Harris said those things without purpose, probably Wenger told him, cuz there is no reason why would he came out with that story, plus he said striker is on the list while Walcott and Giroud are offered new contracts, Wenger is famous for his mind games, so i would say he will sign Reus if its possible.

    1. Bro, he could also come up in the end by saying that Walcott is like a new signing, same goes for Depuchy.

      I do also believe the story with Harris is somehow staged. It can give us the impression that we trully tryed to sign a top top top topt ootpotptoptptptoptot player, but Wenger could not find none.

      Wenger will then have his excuse and the Akb will bite this with plesuare.

      1. And what if it’s not all smoke and mirrors and we do actually sign a top attacker?? Will you admit to being wrong?? Or find something else to complain about…?

  5. its funny though that even llorente is linked with us…according to Harris he said the list wenger gave them in it there is a top striker and my guess benzema..according to wenger when asked about what benzema’s agent said: he said that benzema is 1000% staying in madrid but when the press asked wenger he could have said no benzema is definitely not coming or he doesnt want him but rather he said that his agent is queit convincing. reading between the line it can mean we want him but the money they are asking for is too much.or the player wants to come but his agent is pushing for a bigger deal..my pov .

  6. Had I seen this article I’d have just posted my comment about strikers here, if anyone doesn’t mind could they copy my comment and paste it here? It’s in the previous article, ps4 doesn’t have the feature.

  7. This is just as silly as Ramsey to barca … So why pay attention …. Walcott and giroud competing for CF so can only see wenger bringing in a different player …. Griezman would fit bill as winger striker or reus in same mould..both big upgrade and statement of intent Benzema is an upgrade but not massive … Don’t see where wellbeck fits though should cut loses and sell him …. Add left sided DM and we would b in business come start of season

  8. It’s not true. You’re listening to Journalists who say “Llorente is excess? Arsenal need a Striker!” And send it out for people who lack common sense to write about it on their blogs. Quite sad, really.

  9. reus likely to join Madrid while benz is our best option + hope liverfool miss out reus he is too good for them

    1. I have a feeling I’m going to regret asking…. But what exactly is it that you don’t like about Benzema’s game?
      And please don’t just say he doesn’t score enough. Real Madrid’s system is heavily focused on Ronaldo scoring. No-one question’s Suarez quality despite his goal-scoring dropping off for Barca. He has Neymar and Messi beside him to they share the scoring but no-one questions his quality… Same with Lewi. Playing for a balanced, potent attack and doesn’t put up as crazy goal numbers.

      1. Why doesn’t the same reasoning apply to Giroud then? He is ostracized for never scoring 25 goals a season. People grudgingly accept him when he has a good run. But he’s the player everyone jumps at after a bad game. Never ever is our schoolboy defensive errors criticized which are much more often than Giroud missing a chance. Some of his criticism is just hyperbolic.

        1. You didn’t stumble into a place where fans logically debate different topics about Arsenal. You have found a place where plastic bandwagon glory hunters who jumped on around 2005 and know very little about football just cry about needing people with over 84 ratings on FIFA

          1. Haha jokes aside, my Fifa win percentage against friends has improved drastically now they have to Cech themselves… Every time he has makes a save I just whisper ‘Cech’ to them, they get furious!!

        2. I agree wholeheartedly! I rate Giroud a lot higher than a lot of fans here and thought he had an exceptional season. People point to his goal tally and compare it with others who actually played for the entire season. The guy missed three and a half months and still managed 18 goals yet some fans still act like he can’t score to save himself!!
          I just rate Benzema higher. He’s a complete striker who is a better finisher. Not by a massive amount, but still, IMO a better striker.

          1. Yeah agree with you there. Benzema edges out Giroud slightly in nearly all aspects. I woudn’t say he is a lot better. But still would be a very welcome addition to the team

  10. We should definitely be using Walcott as a ST. To those who say “what about his position on the flank, who will we use?” We still have the proven and talented youth product Serge Gnabry, who almost always impressed with the senior squad. Plus the new cat Iwobi played remarkable today! I think all you so called “fans” who diss Wenger’s policy and talk ish about Giroud nonstop only want a new striker for when you play FIFA. But this isnt a video game boys, we have a great academy and now the financial muscle, not that we always need to buy just for the sake of doing it (e.g. Tottenham 2 years ago and Man Utd last year). We still placed higher then them, and yes you can argue about Chelsea and Man City but look at how City has performed now that they have to abide by FFP. We are set for success now AND in the future, if you can’t see this and still are calling for Wenger to resign you aren’t a fan of Arsenal and definitely not a fan of this great sport. COYG.

  11. Guys are you all aware that the EPL season had not started as yet but the injury bug has hit us,we have 3 players down with injuries,Welbeck,Arteta and Flamini. That has now dashed Arsene Wenger false hope of us having an injury free season. Two of those guys are consider cover for Coq so what do we do if his third man for the assist role in DM Wilshire goes down? We should remember that of the three guys I mention only one has sound legs and that’s Flamini and he can’t match the pace of the game against the top clubs. What’s your take on this?

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