Is Welbeck an improvement on Podolski for Arsenal?

According to some recent Arsenal transfer rumours, the World Cup winning German forward Lukas Podolski is set to leave the club before the summer transfer window closes next Monday. Meanwhile other reports are linking the Gunners with a possible transfer swoop for the Manchester United and England international Danny Welbeck, who plays in that same left forward role as Podolski.

Assuming there is any truth to the Welbeck rumour, he would likely be a direct replacemnent for the departing German, but would he be an improvement for us?

I am not sure whether we are talking tomato, brown or barbecue here but, according to an ESPN report, `sources` have told them that Podolski and his advisors are assessing various offers and he does not expect to be a Gunner next week. And the usually reliable Telegraph have said that Louis van Gaal has told Welbeck he can leave and they are not looking for too much money for him.

Welbeck would certainly offer the Gunners more in terms of all round performance, especially his work rate and tracking back, which has been sorely lacking on our left recently with the Prince and Santi Cazorla. He clearly does not have the same finishing power as the German, but his goal tally last season was nine from 25 games, which is not bad but even better when you consider that he only started 15 of them.

Welbeck is only 23 after all, and has plenty of top level experience with United in the Champions League and with England. Wenger has turned good wide players into top strikers before as well, so do you think he should go for it again with Welbeck?

Tags Man United Wenger

74 Comments

  1. Yes! Welbeck is full of energy and has something to prove. He has some serious talent and would be a great addition.
    Would rather have Reus though….

    1. Now there’ve been loads of transfer jokes linked with Arsenal but Welbeck for prinz Poldi is so ridiculous. We can’t have such poorly talented players at the Emirates, welbeck is a joke.

  2. Welbeck is world class…Top England International

    one of the top 4 strikers at Man Utd…

    won many medals with them

    we should sign him up…

  3. meanwhile manolas is set 2 join roma he wanted guaranteed first team football hope wenger goes for howdes/nastasic coyg’s

  4. Welbeck sucks his record is atrocious,last season he scored 4goals in the league,in the 2012/2013 season he only scored once he’s an absolute downgrade from Podolski,he’s just another over-hyped english player who’s made to look better than he is by the english media!!!

  5. I think both Everton’s goals would have been less likely if Ozil was not on the left.

    drop jack, play Ozil in the middle and anyone else except Santi on the right and the goals would be less likely.

    I also think Sanchez or Walcott down the middle against Man C, Pool and Chelsea away could work, they should take the game to us and we will kill on counter.

    against teams that defend deep it won’t work

  6. On the subject of centre backs, I really think Curtis Davies from Hull would be a great 3rd/4th choice centre back, experienced, English, also wouldn’t expect to be first choice. Many of you may disagree however I reckon we could do a lot worse.

  7. wenger should keep podoslki & loan out sanogo + sign a cb / cdm & a striker yesterdays game should convince him 2 do that without a proper cdm we will be in trouble

    + giroud did well but we should have won the game based on the chances we had in 2nd half

    1. Khedira staying at Real so now we only have option of Carvalho and Wenger should tie him up this week. CB is going to be difiicult……… Striker even harder to find.

  8. I would prefer Chicharito instead of WelbeckAND
    Cavani for Giroud deal. I’d prefer to have Cavani and Giroud though.

    I would rather we keep Podolski instead of getting Welbeck.

    1. Chicharito is world class and part of Man Utd medal winning top 4 strikers…..

      when RVP was injured he was banging the goals and leading them to the top of the table….

    2. Both garbage and not good enough we’ve already got a back up striker (giroud) why do we need another???

  9. are we seriously talking about Danny Welbeck from Man U..?
    instead of Poldi…?
    seriously..?

    no
    thank u
    but no.

  10. We might as well accept it my gooners, he won’t sign any of these top names, howedes/bender/Reus/cavani/Khedira/ Pogba/Vidal/Draxler. We’re just torturing ourselves. IF anyone is signed it will be a last minute knew jerk and he’ll spout the same old tripe, no one was available. It’s a shame as I think a few of those players would come.

  11. Whosoever wrote this article is MAD! Can you all see what’s going on here?
    We need a new coach not new players, wenger has lost it to the extent of making arsenal fans beg for any player…. Even if they are Manu rejects….
    What is wrong in we buying the quality players early in the window? Why dosen’t he wanna adress our weak points on time? Why do we still keep the likes of diaby, monreal etc in the club?
    Hasn’t he learnt from his past mistakes? Must we be the ones to develop all the youth in the world?
    ……8 trophies in 17yrs……
    He was a defender in his playing days & defence is our “Achillies Heel” Isn’t that strange? He needs to go & our problems will go with him.

    1. We must stop developing any youth…..any players below the age of 21yo shouldnt be signed for the club…

      we must only sign proven and world class players…..

    2. THUMB KENTOX DOWN ALL YOU WANT. I AM ONE OF ARSENE’S GREATEST FAN BUT I AM BEGINNING TO THINK HE HAS LOST SOMETHING. ARSENE IS THE ONLY MAN IN THE WORLD WHO DOESNT KNOW PLAYING OZIL AND MONREAL ON THE SAME SIDE IS A RECIPE FOR DISASTER. HE IS THE ONLY ONE WHO DOESNT KNOW THAT JACK AND RAMSEY IN ATTACKING MIDFIELD IS A RECIPE FOR CONFUSION. AND HE IS THE ONLY ARSENAL FAN I KNOW WHO DOESNT KNOW THAT EXPECT WE BUY CAVARLHO, REUS AND CAVANI (OR PLAYERS OF THEIR ILK) WE CAN NEVER WIN THIS BARCAYS PREMIER LEAGUE OR THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE (I DOUBT HE HAS EVEN EVER DREAMT OF WINNING THAT)

  12. Utd signs Di Maria and more signings on the way..

    they are invincible now

    RVP, Mata, Rooney, Di Maria and Janu…..

    Looks like we are battling for 4th again…

  13. All our targets are not joining us
    Khedira= Anchelotti said he is not for sale
    Reus= Klopp has said he is not for sale
    Cavani= Blanc has said he is not for sale
    Manolas = is joining Roma
    Please god help us sign Carvalho and Falcao then.

      1. What the hell is ur problem Hafiz. You say CAVANI is overrated, FALCAO is ageing, Mandzukic
        is slow, Benzema is not better than Giroud, Reus is not a striker. Who is better for u?

        1. Didnt you read his previous comments!! Welbeck and Hernandez are both world class in his eyes apparently coz they are one of the top four strikers in the team.

          That’s only coz they have 4 strikers haha! His defo a utd fab trolling………

  14. If podolski goes, welbeck would be a good option hard worker has pace and i think wenger could improve him to become a world class striker, he is still quite young therefore have room to improve in his play. Many are looking for arsenal to buy the big name strikers, Cavani, Hulk, Falco. Reus and Martinez and not think about individuals with high work rate or is it due to ther cost they will make arsenal better .

    The only problem in this scenario is if Manu would sell to a major rival, its quite similar to when chelsea had BA, welbeck would make arsenal more dangerous and some mention that Welbeck is manu reject, therefore u could say Ozil and Sanchez are Real and Barca rejects which has improved the arsenal squad

    1. To be a ‘reject’ from this United squad is quite different to being a ‘reject’ from RM or Barca

    2. AGAIN IT STILL ALL BOILS DOWN TO WENGER’S STUPIDITY. HE HAS NO BUSINESS BIDDING FOR BA FROM CHELSEA, HE COULD HAVE GOTTEN HIM FROM NEWCASTLE BUT YOU KNOW WHAT OUR COACH SAID? ‘ HE HAS THE SAME STYLE AS GIROUD SO WE DONT NEED HIM’. WHY THEN DID YOU TRY TO SIGN HIM A YEAR AFTER WHEN GIROUD WAS STILL THERE. THE BA I SAW LAST TUESDAY IS MILE BETTER AND SHARPER THAN GIROUD.

  15. acc 2 germ media (Welt) report that Sami Khedira has held recent talks with Arsenal. However, today Ancelotti said that Khedira will stay at Real Madrid

    carvalho now & kehdira for free next summer when arteta/diaby’s contract ends

    1. 48 hours ago Ancelotti said Khedira has asked to leave the club but now, he says he’s happy there & will stay. I think Ancelotti’s bluffing said the same about ozil

      1. he never said khedira asked to leave he said di maria did khedira just reused a new contract never handed in a transfer request

        1. Can’t see him willing to let him go for free tho. He either signs a contract they all agree on or he will get shipped out. Why throw away £10-12 million in transfer fee’s for a guy who will be a sub this season?

  16. Monreal had a good game against Everton (despite a few defensive errors):
    Pass: 90%
    Crosses: 6
    Clearances: 4
    Interceptions: 3
    Assists: 1

  17. According to MARCA, Manchester United are getting AdM for €90M (€75M + €15M add-ons).

    Who’s more mad here? Woodward or Pérez? insane

    sometimes you have to pay over the odds ,wenger should do the same reus/cavani or carvalho

  18. Don’t really care too much about our attaxk at the moment its our defense that worries me. Dm needed urgently and on the problem of a cb that will come to us, just sign a top class cb and offer them playing time with kos. Chambers 3rd cb and per on the bench where he belongs. Fit or not fit did everyone not watch the game yesterday? Per was a liability as always were playing with 10 men!

  19. Kinda OT and primarily fueled by insubstantiated rumors of pending transfer deals from our closest EPL rumors BUT WTF is AW doing. I applaud the activity thus far in the transfer window and have always been a half full Arsenal support but after an albeit small sampling of three games thus far this season the Gunners are facing a real struggle to attain there annual 4th place trophy. A quick and not doom and gloom breakdown of the primary 1st team contributors:

    Giroud: Gets a ton of stick and is tragically wasteful with goal scoring chances BUT is and will be AW first choice. Does have great hair.

    AS: Will need time to adapt but oozes class and workrate. Will only get better as the season progresses. Decent hair

    MO: When in form best playmaker in the world, a liability when played on the wing by AW. Questionable hair

    SC: See MO above. Respectable hair

    AR: Overall has started slowly, but works tirelessly and scores big goals in big games. Wish a few other Arsenal players had his drive and passion. Hair has improved from last year.

    JW: Like most diehards, praying #10 finds his class soon. Has been far to invisible the last couple of seasons and his squad inclusion sadly hasnt been based on merit. Not sure what to make of his hair.

    MA & MF: Put in shifts but simply not EPL championship players. Arteta’s hair is legendary.

    KG: When fit(lol), is a quality left back. Can improve tactically and
    continue to develop his reading of the game. Needs hair

    MD: Capable BS replacement, better going forward, less proficient
    ddefensively. Plays with a chippy edge that is sorely needed within the
    squad: Well manicured hair

    Koz: Stud, nuff said. Hair has potential.

    BFG: Love the big German and has no peers pertaining to the reading
    of the game, BUT his lack of pace is simply to difficult to repress.
    Should not be 1st choice.

    WOJ: Exceptional talent but a headcase, his arrogance will
    rear its ugly head @ some point sadly.

    Love my Gunners till death do us part BUT simply not a top
    four squad as it currently sits.

  20. We all know that with the players we’ve sold and the players we’ve brought in, we’ve spent roughly about £20M. Considering that the Puma deal was meant to be worth £30M a year to us and a supposed ‘War Chest’ of £100M it makes you wonder why we haven’t hardly made a dent in it yet. If Wenger was truly wanting to win the league he would buy a world class defender to partner Koscienly (Mert and Chambers are excellent back ups and offer different styles to utilize when called upon), a DM of Carvalho type (i.e. defensive minded players who won’t drift forward like the likes of Khedira does). And a world class striker. We have at the very least around £60M to spend but i reckon it’s quite a bit more. Giroud is proving that he will try his damndest from the bench and is good back up.

    1. I agree we have only added Sanchez. Debuchy, Ospina and Chambers are replacements. Maybe
      Wenger is planning to add CDM and ST if we qualify for UCL time will tell.

      1. What I don’t understand is tho why wait for champions league qualification for what?

        1) need the money? I don’t think we do I thinks it’s well established that we have money to spend this season.

        2) attract top players? Look at Man utd and Di Maria, obviously didn’t put him off!!

  21. Why would Ancelloti lie to the media about Khedira being happy at Madrid and that he will be staying? I mean for what reason?

    He should lie to Arsenal if he wants more money.

  22. Another CHEAP OPTION for Wenger, Welbeck not the solution to Arsenal problem up front.
    Arsenal need a Proven goal Scorer and please don’t say we have Giroud because he is not a Top Class striker. I ask why is Wenger so blind to Arsenal’s need for a Top Class Striker he must know Giroud is not up to scratch.

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