Top 5 Alternatives to Alvaro Morata that will cost Arsenal around £50 Million. by Eddie D
So the summer transfer window is arrived and having already spent £35 Million pounds allegedly to bring Granit Xhaka to the Emirates already, I don’t think there is a doubt in anyone’s mind that more needs to be done. The key issue on everyone’s mind – I’d like to think – heading into the new season, is the horrific lack of goals the team has failed to produce over the last three years, that has eventually lead to us capitulating in the dying stages of the Premier League title run in, so I can imagine a top striker being our number one priority during this window.
I think it’s safe to say were all bored of reading articles convincing us Morata is or isn’t the solution; this is Arsenals equivalent of the EU referendum with most people still undecided as to whether he is good enough or not; well you know my opinion. Anyway moving away from the Morata nonsense. Ive compiled a list of the ‘top 5’ strikers in my opinion we should be considering for that £50 million price tag. I should mention carrying a £50 million price tag immediately puts a bounty on your head especially in the Premier league. It’s safe to say I’d expect anyone carrying that price tag to have some sort of pedigree from a top European League as an established striker with a reputable scoring record. I mean it makes sense if you’re willing to spend the value of Aston Villa on a player, you’re not really going to want to spend three seasons waiting for the player to justify his value. As well as the fans the English media can be brutal, especially with that sort of money and will expect you to hit the ground running, and more often than not we’ve witnessed the next big sensation command a hefty transfer fee only for him not to adjust to the rigours of the Premier league and their confidence to be damaged irreparably (exhibit A Lazar Markovic – or Falcao).
Moving on to the list – at Number 5, We have Michy Batshuayi; I know I spoke at length about signing youngsters, but this kid look like a real talent. In 36 league Appearances for Marseille he managed an impressive 17 Goals. I have an affinity for the Belgium team and they are an impressive and young strike force. There has been a lot of debate over recent years about the quality of the French league, but in recent years I feel the league is returning to its Glory days and the dominance of PSG will slowly end. He is a very physical presence much like his other Belgium counterparts Origi, Lukaku and Benteke, and much like Origi and Lukaku is deceptively fast. Reports of Tottenham being after him should worry a lot of fans, let’s be honest Kane is better than Giroud, it pains me to say but it’s true, and the prospect of Kane, Lamella and Batshuayi is not something I’d like to see especially if across town we are sitting there with the French pin up Giroud Mark2 in Morata. In all honesty with Marseille slightly desperate for money anything over £27 Million should be enough to initiate discussions to lure him to the Emirates.
At number 4 We have Vincent Janssen of AZ Alkmaar, touchy subject us and Dutch Players because they either end up as greats or public enemy number one. I know he is another child, but with 27 goals in 34 Appearances, he is no fluke. We’re looking at the next RVP here ladies and gentleman, with a commanding presence in the box, impressive aerial threat and speed (something Giroud doesn’t have). Annoyingly again our retarded cousins in white are scouting him during the Euros, he is definitely one to watch. In all honesty a fee of around £25 Million should be enough to bring him to the Emirates.
At Number 3 we have Alexandre Lacazette; I’m sure everyone is familiar with him we’ve been linked with a move for him for the last 3 transfer windows. There is no denying he had an absolutely terrible start to the season, but that’s irrelevant he still finished with 21 goals, only 8 less than last year. I’m sure we are all aware of West Ham’s £30 Million bid for him, it’s not the fee that has stopped West Ham from going back Lyon don’t want more money. Actually that’s a lie everyone does, but that fee was substantial to trigger a move the only reason he didn’t is because he doesn’t want to move to a club offering less than Champions league football and if I produced those numbers I’d be the sam. Need I remind you it’s the very same reason he declined a £24 Million move in January to Newcastle. I mean who wouldn’t be insulted if you scored 20 goals in a top European league and you tell me the best I can do is a mid-table team or relegation candidates. Again like last year a fee between £30-40 million would be enough to ward off any interest from a lot of mid table clubs and bring him to the Emirates.
Number 2 We have Romelu Lukaku; Having finished the year with 19 Goals despite only being 23 and this being his 5th year in the league it’s no wonder, he is being looked at by nearly every club within the top four. Although with that being said granted that he is a premier league player we would have to adjust for inflation, so he will definitely command a transfer fee exceeding £45 Million however from our perspective with us looking to offload a few of our players, who retrospectively are being looked at by Everton Ospina, Walcott, Gibbs, Ox and Campbell it would provide us with the perfect opportunity to launch a bid upwards of £40 Million and a player exchange I may be getting ahead of myself but f we were to get rid of any of those guys I’d rather it be in a deal to a team, that couldn’t provide a threat to our title ambitions whilst it simultaneously being a deal that advantages all parties.
Number 1, Brace yourselves… Paulo Dybala, the name on everybody’s lips now and for a justified reason. 23 goals in all competitions for Juventus with an impressive 19 in Serie A in what is a crowded attacking line up. This Football manager wonder kid actually turned good in real life, and at 22 his dominating displays despite his dominutive stature have led to comparisons with his Argentine teammates of Sergio Aguero and Lionel Messi. Of course like Messi and Aguero has the ability to play anywhere along the front line. I’m going to be honest, he may genuinely command a transfer fee in excess of £55 Million, but the fact that aged 22 is showing a level of maturity and consistency that his team mates Llorente and Morata could only dream of, and the prospect that he will be the next Lionel Messi is a small price to pay. Granted that it may be impossible to lure him to the Emirates unless we launched a bid over £55 Million. If Arsene is stupid enough to pay £50 Million for Morata I don’t see why he couldn’t be equally as stupid and chuck in another £10-15 Million on a guy you could build your team around.
Some Honourable mentions Mauro Icardi (Internationale) with 47 Goals in 84 Appearances; Javier Hernandez (Bayer Leverkusen) 17 Goals in 28 Appearances, Borja ‘Baston’ Gonzalez (SD Eibar/Aletico Madrid) 21 Goals in 43 Appearances on Loan.
So there we have it folks. Stop this notion that if we don’t sign Morata, there is nobody else available. There are – and quite a few strikers at that; and for that fee we could even get two of these guys.
Eddie D