Wenger splash the cash: Why an injury crisis means Arsenal need to spend

The elation surrounding Arsenal’s comprehensive FA Cup victory over Tottenham on the weekend will be short lived following the news regarding Theo Walcott’s latest injury.

The winger’s cheeky hand gesture did little to soften the blow as supporters witnessed him being stretchered off the pitch in the final stages of Saturday’s derby, few would have imagined the actual severity of the damage caused.

Early indications were that the 24-year-old had only strained the ligaments in the joint, an injury that would keep him out for up to four weeks at most, though scans undertaken on Monday confirmed the damage was far more extensive.

Not long after returning from a previous three month spell on the sidelines, Walcott will now miss the rest of the season and, perhaps more importantly, the summer’s World Cup having ruptured an anterior cruciate ligament.

Of course, this recent complication will have given Arsene Wenger plenty to ponder as he prepares his side for the home stretch of the season. Walcott’s recent return to fitness had eased the intense pressure placed on Olivier Giroud’s shoulders – the Frenchman’s goalscoring form had begun to stutter after a flurry of goals at the start of the campaign – and his latest injury will have caused panic among a number of Arsenal fans.

Having scored five goals in five games since returning to first team action, Walcott’s form had encouraged a new air of optimism at the Emirates. His scintillating performances were yet another positive in a, so far, excellent season for the London club. But now, however, the situation has changed yet again.

Walcott generally operates from the right side of the team’s attack, and the Gunners are well and truly covered in that regard. But it is his secondary position, as a centre forward, where the club are thinner than desired.

With the Englishman unavailable for the foreseeable future, Wenger will be praying his remaining frontmen can muster something special, ahead of a period that has traditionally proved a season-breaker for the club. Or else, he will be forced to look further than his current squad for a potential replacement

Nicklas Bendtner seems an unlikely source of inspiration, for starters. The Dane is sidelined for a month having injured his ankle whilst scoring in Arsenal’s 2-0 victory over Cardiff last week and even so, it seems highly improbable that he is the man to propel the club to their first Premier League title for almost 10 years.

Meanwhile, Lukas Podolski has only just returned from months on the sidelines with a hamstring injury and it will take a considerable period for him to regain full match sharpness. With one goal already since his injury in the first-team, some may consider the German as a capable option in this instance. However this strike came against a West Ham side who, at the time, already seemed resigned to defeat. It is unlikely Wenger will be prepared to rest his side’s title chances on the German.

Olivier Giroud has been the club’s only regular starter up-front this season and despite a great spell of initial form, he has managed just one strike in his last six appearances. Wenger will be praying for the ideal situation, in which former Montpellier man regains his clinical eye for goal. However, this is by no means a guarantee and it would seem foolish to entrust a single player with such a large burden. Against West Ham and Manchester City he didn’t manage a single shot on target, whilst he has assisted five goals in total, the club need a forward capable of scoring consistently himself. As the proverbial saying goes, Wenger should be cautious not to place all his eggs in a solitary basket.

Olivier Giroud Chances Created

Alas, the 64-year-old cannot afford to rest on his laurels. This season we have witnessed the most convincing Arsenal side for a long, long time and it would seems inconceivable that the Frenchman would risk further failure by relying solely on his current selection of strikers.

It is no secret that the club have money to spend and subsequent to an accepted bid, what sane front man would sincerely turn down the opportunity to play alongside Mesut Ozil? The German has created 45 chances whilst assisting seven goals this season. More importantly, however, the Gunners now provide a genuine chance of winning the English Premier League – a temptation that could prove strong enough to attract even the most prestigious of centre forwards.

The club have of course been linked with Atletico Madrid’s Diego Costa in recent weeks and the Brazilian-turned-Spanish hit man is up there with the best in Europe, based on this season’s displays. With 19 goals in 18 appearances, the 25-year-old is the third highest scorer in the continent’s top five leagues. However, a potential price tag of, as much as, £145 million could persuade Wenger to pursue alternative options.

Real Madrid’s Alvaro Morata has also been mentioned as a potential loan target but coach Carlo Ancelotti insists the window remains firmly closed at the Bernabeu. Whilst Bayern’s Mario Mandzukic is another target who looks unlikely to be moving in January.

Dimitar Berbatov seems a more realistic signing for the Gunners – potentially as a stop gap before the arrival of a world class forward in the summer. At no more than £2 million the Bulgarian could prove to be a steal.

Wenger now has three weeks to go about his business and for me this question is full gone conclusion, he simply has to buy this January. Considering Arsenal’s current trophy-less era they would be much wiser to be safe than sorry and a striker could easily turn out to be the club’s most important signing of the season, providing the catalyst needed to win the Premier League title.