Three strikers Arsenal should target instead of Benzema

Which striker should Arsene Wenger target?

It is no secret that Arsenal will be in the market for a striker in January, but just who they are interested in remains firmly under wraps. They are struggling with a lack of decent back-up to Frenchman Olivier Giroudcurrently, with Nicklas Bendtner perpetually out of form and Lukas Podolskiand Theo Walcott having faced lengthy lay-offs at the beginning of the season.

Giroud himself has been suffering from burn out, due to a lack of rest, according to teammate Laurent Koscielny. Koscielny said to the Sun: “It’s true that he’s not scoring but he is setting them up, like he did against Dortmund. But he’s also playing game after game and hasn’t had a rest, so maybe he’s feeling a bit of fatigue.”

With the rumour mill inevitably beginning to spin, Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema has been heavily linked with a move to the Emirates in January but the Spanish side’s lack of options to replace the French striker means any deal is unlikely. But there are plenty of other options for Arsene Wenger as he looks to dip into his hefty transfer kitty and splash out on an out-and-out goal-scorer to fire the Gunners to that elusive trophy.

Let’s take a look at three of the striking options that the Arsenal manager is currently pondering bidding for.

Diego Costa

Who in their right mind wouldn’t want Diego Costa right now? He has been on fire at the start of this season. Only Cristiano Ronaldo has scored more than Costa in Europe’s top five leagues in 2013-14 so far. The newly-turned Spanish forward has scored 13 goals in 13 games for Atletico in La Liga. He loves to power goals low into the net, beyond the keepers’ reach as shown by his goal graphic from this season.

Costa is by no means a one-trick pony though, he is a well-rounded striker who loves to dominate opposition centre-backs with his pace and power. But he has finesse to his game too, creating 22 chances in the league with only Koke (23) creating more. Costa is very direct; he has attempted 52 take-ons already this season but has just a 38% success rate. The Atletico striker is not the best in the air, winning just 18% of his headed duels so far, but this would surely mean he would complement Giroud, giving Wenger two different type of forwards.

Edin Dzeko

Dzeko has found himself sat on Manchester City’s bench so far this season and his lack of game-time has seen rumours of a move to the Emirates surface. The Bosnian needs regular football to stay in optimum shape and form ahead of next summer’s World Cup. Arsenal could swoop in for Dzeko either on a permanent deal or on loan depending on City’s willingness to sell to a rival.

Dzeko has been in and out of City’s side, making just seven league appearances, and it has had an impact on his early season form. He has scored just three times at a conversion rate of just 15%, failing to make an impression due to Sergio Aguero being un-droppable and, of course, the form of new signing Alvaro Negredo. Arsenal would be wise to sign this proven goal-scorer as they look to bolster their strike-force.

Jackson Martinez

An outside bet could be FC Porto hit-man Jackson Martinez. Although the Portuguese side tend to hold out for their players’ release clauses, Wenger could be tempted to pay the rumoured £33million clause in Martinez’ contract if he becomes desperate. Despite this high hurdle, Martinez would be by no means a bad buy. In fact, he would be a very good one. Since joining Porto from Chiapas in Mexico, he has scored 43 goals in 53 games.

In the Portuguese league this season, he has averaged a goal a game, but in the Champions League he has failed to live up to those high standards, leaving question marks over just how good he actually is. In Europe, he has managed just one goal, with 33% of his shots hitting the target whilst also winning 57% of his headed duels. Signing Martinez would be a risk but his pace and athleticism could be just what Arsenal are looking for.