Arsenal have had a number of their strike targets agree to move elsewhere this summer, while some are simply no longer leaving their clubs, but who would have made the most impact at the Emirates?
Gonzalo Higuain has been a huge talking point this summer, having made a huge £75 Million move to Juventus, which appears to have been funded by the near-certain Paul Pogba move to Man United for £100 Million. Arsenal fans have made no secret of their want for the Argentine, but at such a fee, you could hardly complain that we were unable to land him.
Jamie Vardy was close to a move to North-London this summer it seems, but despite our club having agreed to meet his minimum fee release clause, personal terms were not agreed, and he opted to stay put. Should we have made him an offer he couldn’t refuse?
Vincent Jansson was hugely impressive in Holland last season, scoring a huge 27 league goals for AZ Alkmaar, and for me the most intriguing part of his portfolio was his ability to score comfortably with both feet, with his head, as well as from the penalty spot. I hate to say it, but Tottenham may have found a gem here. Will his £17.5 Million fee prove a bargain?
Alvaro Morata was strongly linked with a move to Arsenal this summer, with Real Madrid believed to be keen on triggering his buy-back clause, before selling him on for a tidy profit. His performances in the Euro 2016 tournament may have persuaded the Spanish giants to then keep the striker, but an asking price of £57 Million is claimed to have been on the table. They seem happy to keep him, but the window is still wide open, and Benzema is thoroughly expected to keep his starting role.
Yassim Ben Yedder is another target of ours who has now made a move, with his former boss claiming he could have chosen Arsenal, before opting to join Europa League champions Seville instead. His fee is the most modest of the group, at only £7.5 Million, but he could well have been able to prove the best value.
Who will prove to be the one that got away?
Which Arsenal target would have made the most impact for their respective fee?
- Gonzalo Higuain £75M (25%, 596 Votes)
- Jamie Vardy £22M (23%, 555 Votes)
- Alvaro Morata £57M (16%, 382 Votes)
- Yassim Ben Yedder £7.5M (16%, 382 Votes)
- Vincent Jansson £17.5M (14%, 333 Votes)
- Michy Batshuayi £33M (7%, 175 Votes)
Total Voters: 2,330
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Suarez + pound.
Higuain. Napoli paid 5 mill more.
Benzenma.
Kane. Rejected by Arsenal.
Ibra . Wenger wanted him to triall first.
Bale. Wenger preferred Walcott !!!
Instead he signed Bendtner Park Girvinho
Walcott Chamakh Podolski Campbell Wellbeck Sanogo Asasno
*comes out of foxhole
DID SOMEONE SAY WALCOTT??
CHINA?! U RANG 🙂 🙂
Yes, it is no secret that better players often cost much more money. And you are right that Wenger has settled for lessor players because of cost.
But it is illogical to to name players like Chamakh, Park and Sanogo in comparison with “overlooked” strikers who cost actual big money? You could also say Wenger decided not to pursue Messi because he preferred Bendtner. Right?
Wenger likes players who cost close to ZERO. This is no secret. Wenger acquired most of the players you mentioned because the cost was low – NOT because he valued their talents over players like Higain or Suarez.
As you suggest, Wenger declined to acquire Higuain a few years ago because of cost. These decisions were all about money.
Poldi, however, was NOT bought as a striker and again the price was relatively low. But despite fans’ selective memory Poldi actually performed well at LW. He was 2nd on the team in goals and LEADING THE LEAGUE IN ASSISTS when Wenger decided to bench him after only 5 months or so. It made no sense at all.
From there Poldi rarely got playing time but he still was statistically the best finisher in the league = goals per minutes played, goals per shots on goal, shots on target per shots taken, etc. Facts are facts.
Most big clubs have bought players who don’t perform well and rejected many players who turn out to be great players. This is not just a Wenger disease. Think of all the teams who did not get Henry when Wenger did. How many players have gone through the ManU and Chelsea revolving door over the past few seasons? How many clubs let DeBruyne leave for low money?
With Wenger IT IS MOSTLY ABOUT MONEY. Nearly every time Wenger makes another silly acquisition decision it is MONEY that is dictating his actions. And Wenger is probably going to do it again this summer – and it will be COST that again makes Wenger bypass more talented players.
(There are always exceptions to every rule. I cannot explain why Wenger gave Walcott 140,000 a week. It makes no sense at all)
22G and 15A all comps the season prior probably had something to do with it….
2 seasons prior 2012-2013.
The 140 k contract came
late July in 2015.
Suarez – well we did activate his clause, right? Unless the board was really poor informed it was the same thing like Vardy. Simply put : player refused transfer.
Higuain – fair point. I think that’s the poker game Wenger lost because he thinks he’s such a good player in the dying hours of the tranfer market
Benzema – never a target. Media target? Sure. Besides, he never wanted to move.
Ibra – the weirdest one. For a talent scout like Wenger you’d question him about it. Probably that’s when he started losing his aura.
Bale – that’s again unfair. First of all Bale came at Southampton after Walcott signed for us in 2006. Secondly, Bale was a left back and a poor one in 2007. We did not needed full backs back then. It was obvious for everyone in his first year at Spuds that Bale is an attacking player and not a a defender. Besides, it would have ended the same as it is now. Arsenal would have bitten your hand for 80 mil pounds from Real in 2013. Hell, even today!
As for who we signed it is done and dusted. Many of them were before 2010 when miracle happened to keep at least half a squad at the Emirates. You should check the list of failed players from 1996 until 2006. List is just as long.
I agree the talent list was
great the first 8 years.
That’s why the contrast from
04 to 16 is so alarming.
How did the club go from the
invincibles to Top 4 Champions.
Stop crying over spilled milk.
We’ve got gems that other teams had passed on e.g Henry. You can be right at all times esp when it comes to potential big hits.
Let’s just hope our penny pinching manager gets the right signings that will make us competitive. With a decent striker, right/left winger and defender, I feel we should b able to compete with the big boys again. Our squad ain’t dt bad we just need some icings to see us through.
Wenger, make Arsenal great again!
You forgot Henry, Robin Van Persie, Giroud, Anelka, Carlos Vela, Akpom
I think we made a huge mistake by overlooking Janssen. He is certainly going to be one of the deadliest strikers in Europe in the near future. When I heard that Tot had signed him I had this sinking feeling and instantly i knew we would wish we signed him when he had a cheap price tag on him.
Yeah, just give us a few years and we’ll be talking about Janssen as the one who got away just like Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Didier Drogba, Eden Hazard, Juan Mata, Yaya Toure, Samuel Eto’o, Cristiano Ronaldo, Vincent Kompany, Gareth Bale etc. etc. etc..
Draxler just publicly stated he wants to leave Wolfsburg…. Hope it’s not United he ends up going to
Even though the player wants Arsenal, he will probably end up at Juventus, Especially after wenger offers £25 million for him.
25 mill quid.
Don’t get carried away FB.
17 mill peso’s. 🙂
Icardi & Morata are certain to be massive stars of the future- but that’s why they would cost over £50M I suppose.
For me it has to be Higuain. I don’t know what went on and hindsight is an amazing thing but had Arsenal have signed him for the fee Napoli paid we might have won more than the FA cup plus he was actually worth it given Napoli made a profit on him later on.
Wenger best have a few Ace’s up his poker sleeves,
otherwise our whole season will be full of Rue’s.
Rue, Rue… Rue to be .. Rue to be a …. Moaner! ?
He is wearing short sleeve shirts nowadays
Oh … ? That’s just typical ?
For me the one that got away would be a player we could afford. So that eliminates Higauin, who to me is the best of the ones listed but outside of what we reasonably could expect the club to pay.
For me that leaves as most obvious candidates Janssen and Yedder. In an ideal world I would have liked us to sign two strikers this window, one proven and one project. With our schedule we need 3 strikers. Lacazette, Giroud and a gamble on Yedder might have been worth the gamble.
I get the feeling Lacazette might be our guy and soon. That would be great news in my book.