Aleksandr Kokorin To Arsenal? No Thanks! by AT
With the Arsenal striker Danny Welbeck continuing to struggle with fitness and suffering another setback in his rehabilitation from injury, it seems as though the Gunners boss Arsene Wenger is getting impatient and some rumours are claiming that the Frenchman will move for Dynamo Moscow’s Aleksandr Kokorin, who is banging in the goals in Russia.
The injury crisis at the Emirates leaves Wenger with Olivier Giroud as the only fit out-and-out striker and it may seem conceivable that the veteran manager is looking to bring in more firepower as Arsenal aim to maintain their push for a first Premier League title since 2004. And with the Russian international said to be available for a cut-price £4.4m, a potential deal is certainly something worth pondering over.
But is Aleksandr Kokorin really what Arsenal need at the moment? Personally, I really feel Arsenal can ride the storm of the injury crisis and wait for the summer to buy an established striker who has proven himself in Europe. Apart from Olivier Giroud, Arsenal have the option of playing Theo Walcott or even Alexis Sanchez up front, and it seems likely that Welbeck will return in February. In the worst case scenario, Mesut Ozil can also be played as a false Number 9.
Being very optimistic, the Gunners can go into the summer transfer market with a good season behind them and move for a top hitman. For me, moving for Kokorin seems like a panic buy. Now although Arsenal are not blessed with a lot of natural options to lead the attack, I think we can wait until the summer to do the business.
Anurag