Arsenal Or Liverpool Could Sign 9 Goals In 8 Games Striker For Free
Arsenal and Liverpool have been alerted by the availability of Marseille talismanic forward Andre-Pierre Gignac. According to reports the player’s contract expires by the end of the season and Marseille stand the painful risk of letting him go for free or the reasonable decision to sell him for a modest fee in January. The two English Premier League clubs said to be in the race for Gignac’s signature are Arsenal and Liverpool, two clubs in need of a prolific striker. The player’s agent, Christopher Hutteau, recently admitted that his player could play for either of the two sides, saying: ‘‘Given the fact that he is not very old, he has a real market value. This is a striker with a relatively atypical profile, responsive to the physical challenge, the archetypal player who can succeed in a big club. He can play in England, Arsenal or Liverpool, no problem. For me, it is (his real value) between 12 and 15 million Euros.’’
Andre-Pierre Gignac, 28, was first noticed on the international stage in 2008 when he scored 25 goals for Toulouse in the French Ligue 1, a feat that got him signed up by Marseille in 2010. But at Marseille, his form and fitness level went on and off due to injuries and some inconsistencies. However, last season, he found his scoring boots and netted 22 times in 44 games. Then, the French giants hired Marcelo Bielsa, the Argentinean and former Chile national team coach before the World Cup and the veteran coach seems to be bringing out the best in Gignac. Bielsa reportedly told Gignac to lose 5kg of weight in order to hit 25 goals this season. Gignac has hit 9 goals in 9 matches this season so for Marseille and they stand a chance of losing him to international suitors in England. The player reportedly must drastically reduce his wage demands before he could get a contract extension from his employers. As it seems, the player and his agents are preparing the grounds for a move to England either with Liverpool or Arsenal.
Liverpool, no doubt is looking to restoring their attack to a semblance of what was achieved when Suarez and Sturridge held sway at Anfield. Under Brendan Rogers, Liverpool were very impressive last season almost clinching the English Premier League title coming second on the log behind Manchester City, the eventual Champions. The absence of Suarez through a departure to Barcelona and Daniel Sturridge through injury has had an effect on the potency of the Liverpool attack this season. The signing of Mario Balotelli from AC Milan and Rickie Lambert from Southampton hasn’t really alleviated the goal scoring problem and now the manager, Brendan Rogers would look to bring in an attacker with a semblance of Suarez in term of the goal scoring rate. Another major worry for the Merseyside club is the threat of losing Raheem Sterling, who is said to be attracting interests from French Champions, Paris Saint Germain (PSG). Gignac, known for his aerial presence and his recent goal scoring rate could make a good impression at Anfield if Rogers deems it fit to sign the player for a cut price in January.
For Arsenal, the injury to Olivier Giroud made the manager, Arsene Wenger, sign Danny Welbeck from rivals, Manchester United on transfer deadline day. However, Arsenal sits at 8th position on the English Premier League table, winning just 2 matches with 4 draws and a loss. The Arsenal attack has not really been top notch so far this season, and for a cut price, Arsene Wenger may just bring in his country man, Gignac in January or on a free transfer by the end of the season. This kind of deals cannot just be put past Arsene Wenger, who is known for his good negotiating skills and knack for good value for money deals. But for many Arsenal fans, this would represent a misplacement of priorities, as the defence and defensive midfield positions need more attention than the top striker position.