It has become a fact of life in the Premiership nowadays that if you want to challenge for every trophy every season you need quality in depth in every position, to allow for injuries, suspensions and squad rotation. With the extra amount of games that Arsenal will have to play in the Europa League this season we will need more depth than ever.
We all know that the Gunners have signed one top quality striker in Lacazette, and he has made it clear that Giroud will stay and fight for his place. Wenger said: “We extended his contract last year so our resolution is to keep him here, because we extended his contract. He has a great value to the squad and I think as well he is a great lover of the club. He loves the club and has always been very determined to stay.”
Olivier was our plan B last season, and a very accomplished supersub so keeping him makes sense, but what about Lucas Perez, who has made it clear he’s not been happy with his lack of playing time. Although the Spaniard has not gone to Australia for the pre-season tour, it seems he is also not going to get his wish to move back to his hometown club Deportivo La Coruña. President Tino Fernandez has made it clear that they don’t expect Arsenal to let him return in a cut-price deal. “We’ve spoken to Arsenal, we were interested and we informed them of that, although it’s true that that was days ago and other things have happened since then, like the fact that he will not be with the team for a few games,” he said. “The possibility of a return to Depor? It’s remote.”
As Arsenal paid so much for Lucas last summer, and his large wage packet, it is unlikely that any Spanish clubs would think he is a value signing, and it was revealed by the Arsenal Direct club shop that Perez has lost his Number 9 number to Lacazette, but he has now been allocated Number 28 instead. That sounds like Arsenal expect him to stay….
As for Welbeck, there has not been one single rumour linking him with a move away, and there probably never will until he can prove he can stay fit for a whole season at least. And again, we will have lots of games to fit him in with rotation….
Wenger himself was asked directly if he would be keeping all his strikers this summer, and he just said that they will just have accept the competition that goes with being at a big club. “I don’t know yet.” he said. “It’s always the same problem – when you have only one striker, people ask why you don’t buy another one. When you have two or three, they say that they will be unhappy because you have too much competition. That’s part of the job. We are in a job where we are very lucky to do what we love but as well we have chosen a competitive job, that means the players have to accept competition and my decisions as well, unfortunately!”
Unfortunately for the players on the bench, but not for the fans! So it looks like Arsenal will have a fantastic array of striking options next season, and we are probably going to need them all….
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