The season isn’t over, but that doesn’t mean transfer speculation – set to hit record heights this summer due to the great wads of cash floating about the Premier League – has to take a back seat.
In the wake of Arsene Wenger’s press conference yesterday, after which he always has a briefing with the newspaper journalists, The Telegraph and The Mirror are reporting that the manager’s top striking target is Alvaro Morata.
The 23 year old Spaniard is currently playing for Juventus, but his ownership situation is somewhat complicated. His former club, Real Madrid, have a fixed price buy back clause that they can choose to use at any time.
It’s been suggested Real could exercise that clause this summer, then sell him on at a higher price. All of which sounds like the perfect recipe for an Arsenal related transfer saga.
Morata hasn’t been hugely prolific for the Serie A giants this season, scoring just 10 goals in 41 appearances in all competitions. Whether the Arsenal manager feels he can tap into a richer vein of goalscoring as he develops as a player remains to be seen, but this one seems a little bit complex and unconvincing to us.
As such we’re giving it a 6 poo rating at this point (where 1 poo is cast-iron certainty and 10 is absolute donkey plop).
Somehow get Lukaku please..
Even he is only 23..and has a lot of experience playing in the PL.
He is a lot more prolific in front of the goal compared to Morata, should say..
I think Morata would be fucking class for us with Ozil behind him.
I know everyone will thumb me down for saying this, but considering Ozil has created the most goal scoring opportunities this season, and Giroud has less goals than Ighalo in the Premier League – I think that speaks volumes.
Giroud is an okay plan B off the bench, but he shouldn’t be starting for us up front as regularly as he has done over the past few seasons.
I’d love us to go all out for Lukaku.
I’d prefer to stick with Welbeck, sell Walcott for 15-20 mil, double it and go in big for Griezmann (assuming we’ll only go for one- if any- offensive player). Atletico are clearly willing to part with players and he’s unreal. He and Sanchez swapping sides with Ozil sat between them is absolutely mouthwatering. Plus I think there’s a real, top drawer striker hidden away in Welbeck. I’m aware this won’t happen but then I don’t think Lukaku would either, and he isn’t actually particularly prolific given how many chances he gets.
Still not convinced Welz should be our starting CF. I think his style of play is perfect for us, but I do wonder if all this “he’s gonna transform into a regular scorer” is a bit wishful thinking. Seen it the last few years, particularly with Theo last season. Heck it was this very website that made a case for Giroud being a world class striker (and many in the comments agreeing, for if you didn’t you got thumbed down). Wenger himself said it’s rare for a striker past 25 to all of a sudden become super clinical. It’s never… Read more »
I agree, but I can’t help but thinking (almost certainly wishfully) that there’s something different with Welbeck. Walcott I’ve never been a fan of, but Giroud I did expect a little more of, particularly this year. I think he’s a great player but readily admit (as in fairness Arseblog always has) that if there were an upgrade available I’d take it. Jese I don’t think is going anywhere, given how spectacularly their latest galacticos experiment has failed there’d be uproar if they got rid of him after Morata. Yarmolenko I’m not a fan of. I genuinely think if we went… Read more »
Oh, and Higuain would be my ideal signing. Back to his best this year- just an absolute predator. Added some screamers to his arsenal lately too.
Yarmelenko is a bit of a liability on the wing and doesn’t do ANY defensive responsibilities. Great show boater and awesome kick outside the box. Think we have better wingers than him with Iwobi and Alexis.
Jese I agree would be a great buy with lots of potential.
‘Wenger himself said it’s rare for a striker past 25 to all of a sudden become super clinical. It’s never happened on his watch.’
RVP?!
Rvp has always been clinical. Just too injury prone to show it then.
I cant see that as a big improvement on welbeck and giroue. If we were going to splash the ridiculous money that morota would cost you’d hope for a proven 20-30 goal a season striker.
Giroud* like his name could get any frencher but i managed it…
Frencher.
We can’t afford a 20-30 goal scorer. Well we technically could, but our manager has long ago made it clear we won’t be competing in that price stratosphere. So its either the likes of Morata, trying to unearth a gem out of the dirt with our stat company, or getting someone cheap or average like Podolski and Giroud again.
What Morata does have going for him is that unlike Giroud he has actually good technique, combining it with height Giroud provides and athleticism that Welbeck provides. Its a gamble for sure though.
He’s a good player. But i would prefer Lukaku, strong and Premier League proven.
Yawn, and the transfer window hasn’t started. Look back to last year and see what percentage of reported transfers actually happened – a fraction of 1%.
I’m grateful for the poo meter to at least give some sanity but my advice is to relax over the summer and switch off, look on this site or the BBC or Arsenal.com at most. Whatever will be will be, the rest is newspapers and websites trying to get your clicks.
Although I, for one, would be grateful if Arseblog rose above the clickbait tactic they’ve employed here. (‘Morata linked’ is actually one less keystroke than ‘Striker linked’… and it also has the added advantage of not annoying the shite out of me)
Thanks for looking being so concerned with our efficiency, and sorry for annoying you 😉
Also, it was sort of interesting because John Cross and Jeremy Wilson both reported it independently of each other, which suggests some kind of ‘briefing’. Or sly grin from Arsene Wenger when they mention his name.
Then again I doubt Wenger or anyone at Arsenal would inform those gobshites about any of our dealings. Though to be fair to Cross, besides the occasional transfer news he does get legit info when it comes to Arsenal dealings that don’t involve transfers. Jeremy Wilson is always full of shit on the other hand as far as I can recall.
zlatan, Arsene. Just do it.
Yes, Zlatan, even if for only 2 seasons. He is a proven winner, where ever he has gone. All the talk about being a problem in the dressing room, I could care less. We were discussing it during last weeks game, and right after that, he goes and scores another 3 in the PSG game the same day. If Arsene was up to it, he would have this done and dusted right now, since Zlatan can negotiate with anyone already, seeing his contract runs out in June.
Yes..zlatan, absolutely the best signing.
Yeah! let’s have a 34 year old once brilliant footballer who is only interested in one final big payday! £600k per week? Bargain! And I’m sure he’s just the kind of guy that will repair our mental fragility and our defensive shape! THIS IS IRONY!
Need a big name striker in the summer to build confidence amongst fans. Please no more prospects. We already have enough of them.
we have had a marquee signing in each of the last 3 summers (last summer it was the only signing) and all of these have done pretty well, I don’t think that can really be denied. I am sure whoever AW brings in will do well but we are going to need more than one signing. We usually tend to hire the right players, we just don’t hire enough of them. I do think we need a decent striker this Summer. I love Giroud but if we had someone else that was prolific I think we would stand a decent… Read more »
My brothers wifes brothers best mate saw him on the Gatwick express talking on his phone in a very secretive manner. Definitely signing for arsenal this summer
But he hasn’t even liked Arsenal on Instagram yet, how can you expect me to believe you?
Don’t forget kids the season ticket renewals are coming up… gotta keep the punters interested!
Morata, Manolas and Xhaka, handsome fellas. Bring them in!
Most importantly, they’re all over 6 foot tall.
Can you imagine if Wenger discovered another Henry! We’d win the quadruple!
We really need an established striker to show we mean business!
Please, no. Morata just isn’t that good. A fully fit Wellbeck will score as many, if not more. Morata’s strike partner, on the other hand, may be what Arsenal could could use.
But Henry wasnt an established striker at the time Wenger discovered him..
Morata is an absolute beast in PES
Would that be a Tittle Tattle challenge?
Simple truth for all you blind gooners..
We have all seen proper “Arsenal Men” over the years and it’s been a long time since the move to the McDonalds Bowl and even longer since a proper Arsenal man has graced it
When David Dein left Arsenal so did Arsene’s brain
Until he returns forget any notion of the club ever challenging for the title again
The excuses of finishing behind a team of Arabs and Russians can’t wash when you finish behind Leicester and The Dark Side
Rocastle and Geordie Armstrong et al must be turning in their graves….
With respect, using the deceased as punctuation marks is pretty classless. Don’t speak il of the dead, unless they deserve it,and don’t speak for the dead.
Yeah – and don’t have a point of view either!
Spot on Ady. It infuriates me with all this talk of Morata or Ibrahimovic or Jese or Gotze (whoever is flavour of the month). What we need is some players who would die for Arsenal – not some fancy-dan, preening prima-donna.
Him again…
Morata is a good player!
Higuain….he’s our man!
For Wengers (surely) last season, he should go for absolutely proven quality…so what he’s a bit older…he’ll get 25 goals….easy!
Wenger can hardly be more inept, or inactive, in the outfield department this closed season, than last : can he now ?
Nobody bought anything worthwhile last season
That explains why we are set to win the title, then.
Chelski bought you and you were quite shit.
I bought Morata in Football Manager for Arsenal. He was really good the first year. Rubbish the second. So sold him to Barcelona. The fans didn’t like it.
I think we’ve all learned something here.
Yes we have. We’ve learned Don’t buy him on football manager.
Could be a great buy if he comes with a decent price. Arsenal will certainly get priced away from Lukaku (should go for over £50 million + massive wages) as United and City will pay anything to get him. Morata is still young and has proven that he can perform in the big matches in CL. Wenger also knows how to develop strikers. Also would be good to have another mobile striker to compete with Welbeck as atm if Welbeck gets injured you are stuck with Giroud without a plan b.
People forget all too easily about Morata. Juventus have a very crowded strike force: Morata, Dybala, Mandzukic, and Zaza. He destroyed Bayern two weeks ago.
Also remember his Champions League campaign last year…he scored in both semi-final matches and in the final. He shows up in the biggest games. Who wouldn’t want that.
Having said all that, he should be our #2 option after Zlatan.
It’s gotta be Walcott for next season up front. I think he’s shown more than enough this season to prove he’s got what it takes. Failing that, perhaps cech? Big lad, and has his own hat.
Could have got him for 12 million. But oh no we can’t pay that for one of the best strikers. He’ll probably go to fuckin chelsea. God I hope not
Actually not thank god. Probably don’t exist but may do depending on you’re view point. Like to think there is some dude out there keeping an eye on us.
Come on people why are you thinking Arsene would spend that kind of money? We will lucky if he buys squad players This summer much less those names that are being bandied around above my post.
Cavani
-bring the Hate fellas
I think we should put in a hefty bid for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
It’s a world class striker we need, we already have very good ones (on their day)