Although Arsenal were unable to sign a striker this summer, they have not given up hope of acquiring one before January.
It remains to be seen whether or not the Gunners will renew their interests in Luis Suarez or Karim Benzema, who were both on Arsene Wenger’s radar this summer. But it is understood that the north London club are close to securing the services of free agent Ciprian Marica, according to the forward’s agent.
The 27-year-old became a free agent at the end of last season after finishing up with Schalke, meaning the Romanian could still be signed despite the transfer window closing over a week ago.
West Ham, Lazio, Inter Milan and former club Shakhtar Donetsk have all been linked with a move for the striker, but it appears he is nearing a move to Arsenal with his agent Ioan Becali stating a deal could be done by next week:
‘He’s close to joining Arsenal, but we have to wait for the next week.’
Marica, who can be played out wide, as a second striker or centre-forward, has won 63 caps for Romania, finding the net 22 times.
The Bucharest-born forward has played for Dinamo Bucuresti, Shakhtar Donetsk, Stuttgart and, most recently, Schalke, totalling 47 goals in 221 appearances thus far in his career.
Old news, old quotes, pointless article. Keep up the good work!
Wenger must have had palpitations when he signed the cheque for Ozil. The only way he could break the penny-pinching habits of a lifetime was to pick up his other ‘targets’ for peanuts. We have £154M of supporters’ money in cash reserves and rather than going out and buying a proper keeper & striker (Begovic & Lewandowski, for example) he gets what’s left on the shelf at the pound store – again. Ozil must really wonder what the hell he has done by leaving Madrid.
He doesn’t sign the cheques!
Nice that you’re a friend of Lewandowski and can change his dream to play for bayern.
Before we moved to the emirates, Wenger didn’t penny-pinch, (players were simply not as expensive as they are now) and he often paid good money for good players (Henry, Reyes, Wiltord were not insignificant amounts of money at the time).
Wenger so very clearly, obviously, had a remit to spend cautiously in the past 6 years. He has even acknowledged this with euphemisms such as “restricted financial potential”.
You’re correct that £42M absolutely blows our previous transfer record away, but for someone as gifted as Ozil, I don’t think Wenger has any problem whatsoever. On the other hand, I think he probably thought – rightly or wrongly – that £24M for Higuain was pushing it, and so when the price went to £32M he pulled the plug. It’s not about the money for him; it’s about value for money. Ozil at £42M is value for money. Special player: special price.
And again, we all know there is more money to spend, and I think Wenger will spend it, but he just won’t spend it on any old player. I reckon if he could prize Rooney or Suarez away for £45M, he would.
wenger hv done mistake nt buyng striker ths cn mk hm 2 failed.
pls wenger we nid a world class striker
A striker who’s scored 47 in 221 career appearances?
I imagine if this does happen, it is a stop-gap measure until we can spend the money we do have on someone worth it. Would you turn him down in favour of Bendtner playing? Or Park? In the meantime, he is better cover than either of those options.
Hopefully we can get an elite striker in January.
H
ow soon ar we going 2 start watching him in arsenal colour?
we need benteke.bender.hummels and reus to compete but i don’t c this guy helping us much….may be in capital one cup and FA
No,we need wold class player.
Nobody believes this.