Mario Mandzukic: Will the Bayern misfit fit in at Arsenal?
Mario Mandzukic
A year can be a very long time in football; just ask Mario Mandzukic. This time last year, the Croatian striker had firmly established himself as Bayern’s first-choice striker ahead of the incumbent Mario Gomez. This eventually led to the German international moving to Fiorentina in search of regular first-team football. Now Mandzukic finds himself on the periphery of things at Bayern; Pep’s penchant for playing a False 9 has seen both Thomas Mueller and Mario Goetze lead the attack more often than not. Honourary president of the club Franz Beckenbauer recently admitted that the Croation striker ‘could pack his bags’ as he doesn’t fit Pep Guardiola’s style of play.
The situation Mandzukic finds himself in is a very harsh one indeed but there’s nothing he can do about it except seek a move away from the club. Several clubs have been rumoured to be interested in securing his services, with Arsenal being heavily linked to him. Arsenal’s striker woes are pretty clear for all to see. Giroud has been getting goals this season but they don’t have another decent striker in their ranks should something happen to the Frenchman. Nicklas Bendtner, Yaya Sanogo and Park Chu-Young are names that will hardly inspire any confidence among Arsenal fans and the need to reinforce in that area is very evident.
Mandzukic would definitely be an improvement on their current strikers. Not only is he adept at finishing chances whenever they arise, his overall game is also good. He’s not as good as someone like Lewandowski or Ibrahimovic when it comes to linking up the play, but the Croation forward isn’t useless on the ball. Aside from that, he’s also a threat aerially and wouldn’t necessarily struggle to fit into Arsenal’s system of high pressing, having done that at Bayern last season.
At first it seemed as if Mandzukic would only be available in the summer once Robert Lewandowski joined the club. However, Beckenbauer’s comments mean that the club might just be tempted to sell him in January should the right offer come along. Arsenal would do well to secure his services sooner rather than later because their striker problem might just be the reason they don’t end up winning the League this year. Giroud is a good striker, but it would be ridiculous to expect him to play every match and risk burnout, especially considering that Arsenal are currently competing for three different trophies.
However, if Arsene Wenger is indeed serious about signing him, he needs to move fast. Arsenal aren’t the only club supposedly interested in securing his services and the fact that it’s pretty evident that he’s available might see other clubs move for him. There is no doubting the fact that he would be a good addition to Arsenal’s current squad and might even be the difference between Arsenal winning the title or simply securing Champions League football. Wenger has already proved he isn’t afraid to splash the cash when he deems it necessary; a new striker is definitely a necessity for the Gunners.