Arsenal identify Giroud replacement

Arsenal are eyeing Torino striker Andrea Belotti

Arsenal fans are tired of hearing this sort of thing, but perhaps it’s actually true this time. The Gunners have reportedly zeroed in on a replacement for French striker Olivier Giroud.

The alleged object of Arsene Wenger’s affection this time is Torino striker Andrea Belotti. The Sun are reporting that Arsenal will do battle with Premier League rivals Liverpool, for the talented hitman’s services this summer. It’s believed he can be had for the relatively modest transfer fee of 12.5 million pounds.

The Italian striker is off to a blistering start to this year’s Serie A campaign. He’s scored 4 goals in just two matches and sports an exceptional Whoscored.com player rating average of 8.70 on the young season. It’s easy to see why quite a few big European clubs would be interested in a player of his caliber.

The one thing that doesn’t seem to make sense here, is that Belotti definitely isn’t a target man in the mold of Giroud. Instead, he’s a forward who relies on his speed and clever movement to score goals. It would be logical for Wenger to want to purchase another big, physical centre-forward who could hold up play.

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That doesn’t mean Arsenal won’t make a play for Belotti, it just means that he may not be the like for like replacement for Giroud that Gunner fans want him to be. Even if he does arrive in North London this summer, Giroud is still likely to have a big role in the squad.

That’s assuming Arsenal can win the race for Belotti. It’s entirely possible that he’ll see Liverpool as a more attractive transfer destination. His style of play would seem to be a better fit for Jurgen Klopp’s system. There’s also the chance that even more powerful clubs could jump in the fray if Belotti continues his torrid play.

Andrea Belotti is a name to watch for Arsenal fans, but a lot of things need to go right if he’s going to end up as Olivier Giroud’s successor at the Emirates.