Why Wout Weghorst to Arsenal would bolster their attacking unit
According to Bild (h/t The Express), Arsenal are considering a move for Wolfsburg striker Wout Weghorst in the summer. The Dutch forward is available for £32m as per the report.
Weghorst, 27, came through the youth ranks of Neo Borne and DETO before joining Willem II’s U21 squad. He then joined FC Emmen in the summer of 2012 and made 66 appearances, scoring an impressive 21 goals before moving to AZ Alkmaar.
In two years with Alkmaar, he featured in 86 games and managed to score 45 goals, providing 13 assists. After making a name for himself in Dutch football, he was signed by German outfit Wolfsburg in 2018. And since his arrival in Germany, he has been a regular member of the squad and has helped his side to 7th position in the Bundesliga table this term.
The centre-forward has been in sensational form in the last few years and has proved his worth for whichever team he has played for. And the report also suggests that Premier League rivals Newcastle United are also interested in securing his services.
Arsenal need to prepare for life after Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
At the moment, the Gunners have three centre-forwards in their ranks. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has been their leader up front. The Gabonese international has led them brilliantly since his arrival in North London, scoring 63 goals in 101 games to date.
This season, the former Borussia Dortmund has already racked up 19 goals in the Premier League. If not for his goals, Arsenal would have slipped further down the table. Alexandre Lacazette has not lived up to the expectations, managing just 7 goals so far.
Apart from them, Eddie Nketiah is the only option available to spearhead the attack. But he is just 21 and is slowly getting into the fold. Though he has gained his manager’s trust, he is still young and cannot be depended upon for the whole campaign.
Moreover, Aubameyang has just one year left on his contract and his future with the club still remains uncertain. And therefore, Gunners boss Mikel Arteta should bring in reinforcements to their attacking unit.
To that end, Wolfsburg’s Weghorst would be a good signing for the club. The Dutch international is in a rich vein of form. He has scored more than 15 goals in each of his last three league campaigns. In his final season with Alkmaar, he managed to score 18 goals in 31 league games. He continued with the fine form last season too, scoring 17 league goals for the German outfit.
This season, he is the fourth-highest goalscorer in Bundesliga with 16 goals in 32 games. Given his consistency and ability to find the back of the net regularly, he could be a solid addition to Arteta’s squad. He would definitely bring healthy competition to the squad and could be a good replacement for Aubameyang if he doesn’t extend his contract.
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Verdict
With Aubameyang’s contract running down and Lacazette out of from, Arsenal are in need of centre-forwards. And Weghorst could be a terrific addition if he is able to replicate the form he has shown in the last few seasons. Thus, the Gunners should lure the former Alkmaar man to the Emirates this summer.
