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Could The “World Class” Striker Arsenal Is Searching For Not Be Available?

By Nasra Osman

By Jan S0L0 [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
By Jan S0L0 [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons /
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From the moment the transfer window opened this summer, the speculation about which “world class” striker would be coming to Arsenal this season has been incessant.

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There have been a plethora of names that have been thrown into the conversation, so much so that I could probably compile a list that stretches a mile long. There have been strikers mentioned from La Liga to Ligue 1. Some of the potential targets that have been identified thus far are household names, while others may lead fans to watch the player’s highlights on Youtube due to a lack of knowledge.

The sheer amount of rumors flying around is enough to make one refrain from reading too much into anything during the transfer window, and the longer it goes on, the longer one would think that Arsene Wenger isn’t going to sign a striker.

The fact that Arsenal has not signed anyone with the window to close soon got me to thinking. Could the “world class” striker that the club is after potentially not even exist at the moment?

Perhaps yes, as at the moment it seems as though the board could be chasing after nothing but thin air. The club appears to have run into a situation where the market is virtually non-existent for a striker with the caliber that Arsenal so desperately need, and have been lacking since Robin Van Persie’s departure to Manchester United in 2012. If you were to riffle through what is currently available, you would come to the conclusion that there simply isn’t a player that Arsenal could use.

The most prominent rumour surrounding Arsenal’s pursuit of a forward points towards the direction of Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema. There has been numerous reports on the player, everything from a bid being put in by Arsenal, to a transfer fee being agreed upon by both clubs. There is a fair amount of obscurity surrounding the potential deal, to the point where fans are beginning to grow restless due to the never ending saga. But like every other rumour out there, there are reasons to doubt that it will happen this transfer window.

Again, it has everything to do with availability. There is reason to believe that Karim Benzema may not even be available for transfer, just like a number of other strikers that Arsenal may be targeting. It is quite clear that Real Madrid are not in a position where they need to sell Benzema, so they will not feel inclined to make a deal with Arsenal. That would be the case unless Benzema formally requests a transfer, or if the club makes an offer so superior that Madrid cannot resist taking.

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Although Benzema seems like the likely target, there has also been talk of Edinson Cavani and Gonzalo Higuain potentially coming to Emirates. But like Benzema, question marks remain over their availability for a transfer, and whether or not they would even be inclined to join the North Londoners.

It appears as though the lack of supply of quality strikers on the market at the present time is working against Arsenal’s favor. It could potentially mean that they will continue this season with a Giroud-Walcott-Welbeck trio as their strikeforce, which may or may not be sufficient enough to fuel a genuine title challenge. Those three will have to give it their best shot, as it is clear that Wenger will not go out and buy a no name striker simply due to the thinness of the market. If a striker is not signed during this transfer window, one can only hope that there are better options come January.

Next: Is No Formation Arsenal's Best Formation?

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