Just before the Euro 2016 championship started, everyone thought Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger was moving decisively to finally sort out the striker problem by activating the release clause of Jamie Vardy. Unfortunately, the striker chose to stay at Leicester City. One can’t blame Wenger, he tried but Vardy chose to remain loyal to Leicester City.
Vardy rejection of Arsenal has now made the club appear desperate to sign a new striker and the Gunners have since been linked with the signing of one striker or another. That to me is not a surprise, as every football fan that watches the Premier League knows Arsenal could have won the league last season if they had a potent striker putting away the numerous chances that Mesut Ozil and company create.
Last week, news emerged that Arsenal are trying to sign Argentine striker Gonzalo Higuain from Napoli. However, it now seems that the Gunners have ended their pursuit of the Argentine, as latest reports indicate that Italian Serie A champions Juventus have now joined the race and are ready match Napoli’s valuation of the striker’s valuation (about £80m). And knowing Wenger, it is easy to see why he has started weighing up other options.
According to the Independent, Arsene Wenger and Arsenal have now turned their attention to Carlos Becca, who is plying his trade in Serie A with Italian giants AC Milan. This is not the first time Bacca have been linked with a move to Arsenal. He was thought to be on his way to Arsenal even before he signed for AC Milan.
Becca, 29, is reportedly available for a much cheaper price than Higuain. According to reports, the Colombian is available for a price in the region of £26m, which is the almost the same fee West Ham reportedly offered the Milan club recently. However, it looks like Bacca desires a move to a much bigger club than the Hammers. Advantage Arsenal then? So the media believe. With the Gunners able to offer regular Champions League football and a small chance of winning titles, it will not be a surprise if the Gunners end up beating the Hammers to the signing of the South American.
Bacca has already hinted that he would like to play in the Champions League, which puts Arsenal in pole position. He may be 29 but, considering Arsenal seem to have been priced out of every remaining reliable striker on the transfer market, he could make a good signing for the Gunners. He will still have at least three years of quality football left in him, in my opinion.
I personally find it odd that Wenger didn’t get him last summer ahead of AC Milan. Maybe the Gunners, as usual, weren’t ready to pay the necessary money at the time. I’m sure Arsenal regret their decision not to pursue Bacca then, as it clearly impacted on their ability to maintain a sustained title challenge. In other words, the club threw away a golden chance of winning the league when the other big guns were on a sabbatical.
