Adrian Lopez: A Move That Could Prove Costly for Wenger

Arsenal are reportedly moving closer to signing Spanish striker, Adrian Lopez, from Atletico Madrid in a deal that could see Arsene Wenger finally spend some of the cash he has been hoarding over the past six months.

The Gunners are in severe need of firepower after their summer signings, Lukas Podolski and Olivier Giroud, continue to struggle in front of goal. They have scored just 12 league goals combined this season and rarely complete full 90 minutes under Wenger, leaving the Arsenal forward line in a perpetual state of change that hampers consistency.

It is a widely held belief that Wenger must spend this January, and having missed out on Klaas-Jan Huntelaar already this month, attention has turned to Spain and a reportedly unsettled Lopez, who could move to the Emirates for a fee of around £15m.

This sort of signing has already excited football pundits, hoping Lopez will become the new Santi Cazorla and not another Marouane Chamakh. By all accounts, Lopez plays the passing style of football so central to Wenger’s tactics yet also has the physique to be played as a big lone striker, much like fellow Spaniard, Fernando Llorente.

A big problem with this potential new signing, however, is that most times when Arsenal chase a new player, there are three or four other clubs also interested. Yet very few reports are coming out of Spurs, Liverpool, or Everton eyeing up this 25-year-old here and, with just two goals for Atletico this season, Lopez may be another Jose Antonio Reyes in the making.

It will be interesting to see, should the Spaniard join Arsenal, just what kind of success he will have in the Premier League. A talented striker no doubt, but his goals yield, despite playing alongside Falcao, is alarmingly low for a man expected to help Arsenal surprise the Premier League odds, and make it to third place this spring.

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