Arsenal Shamefully Return To Potential Jackson Martinez Transfer

Arsenal have returned to the prospect of landing Colombian striker Jackson Martinez, but again we must wonder what the appeal is behind the potential move.

Arsenal have been in need of a new striker for awhile. Not necessarily an upgrade, as when Olivier Giroud is at the top of his game, he is a fantastic asset. They just need someone that can provide a little versatility and put some pressure on Giroud. One potential signing Arsenal was eyeing up last year was Colombian striker Jackson Martinez.

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Then playing for FC Porto, Martinez had a pretty solid resume. 92 goals in 132 appearances. Quite the return. However, you always have to be wary of someone who is 28 years old (now 29) that has never been to one of the major five football divisions.

That wariness was brought to light when Atletico Madrid took a chance and dropped £26m on the hulking striker.

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The return has been rather paltry. In 12 appearances, he has netted just three times. Not exactly what you would expect from a near-£30m purchase.

And yet, Diego Simeone has preached patience when it comes to Martinez’s Madrid career. “I am happy with him [Martinez], [he] has the same amount of goals as [Luciano] Vietto, [Angel] Correa and [Fernando] Torres having played less. We are happy, you must be patient” (via Goal.com).

That is well and good, but what Simeone is failing to recognize is the difference between Martinez and those other three. Vietto and Correa are young prospects that have time for patience. Torres was a wild card from the start. He hasn’t been consistent since he left Madrid in the first place.

Martinez was not supposed to be a ‘wait and see’ guy. He was supposed to be the reliable one, given the people he was sharing the position with.

Now, that lapse in production has attracted Arsenal for whatever reason. They never followed through on their interest last year and if proved justified. He would have been a frustration and a half at Arsenal. Martinez may be a fantastic aerial threat, but Giroud is statistically twice his superior.

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Having someone similar to Giroud is not the end of the world. Having someone similar to Giroud but lacking most of Giroud’s perks is a bit closer to the end of the world. He does not hold up play and he is not adept at the flick-ons like Giroud is. The only similarity he really shows is the headed balls.

In terms of practicality, that is all he would offer Arsenal. Yet Arsenal already have the most dominant header in English football. Therefore making a play for Jackson Martinez makes little to no sense. He is the same age as Giroud so it’s not like we can pull the ‘potential’ card.

Grabbing someone that is 29 is not the end of the world either, but you would prefer someone that can offer you something a little bit different. Martinez does not. He is a downgrade from Giroud in just about every facet.

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Other links have included Aleksandr Kokorin and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Both of them offer so much that Arsenal does not already have. Kokorin is still young, and he is also cheap. Aubameyang is prolific and is ripping the Bundesliga to shreds. Martinez offers nothing that Arsenal should be spending £20m+ on.