Arsenal’s potential striker purchase puts Walcott in top scorer pole
Published:Arsenal’s activity in the January transfer window is expected to be a pivotal moment in their season, with the general consensus insisting that another top striker is required for the Gunners to maintain their position at the top of the Premier League.
Despite leading the way heading into 2014, Arsenal’s odds to win their first top tier title since 2004 currently stand at 4/1, that’s two places behind 10/11 favourites Manchester City and 11/4-rated Chelsea.
Olivier Giroud is their only elite, out-and-out centre forward and the north Londoners can count themselves especially fortunate that the French striker is yet to incur any serious injuries.
With money in the kitty, it would be foolish not to invest should a suitable target become available, a sentiment echoed by many inside the Arsenal squad. Mikel Arteta and Theo Walcott are two of the players to have made their thoughts on the matter public, both insisting that the club would benefit from the added competition.
As well as bolstering their title chances, the arrival of some top-level firepower would also increase Walcott’s odds of 9/4 to be the Gunners’ top scorer this season.
Giroud, who tops the club’s scoring charts with 11 in all competitions, is understandable favourite at 4/9, but with Walcott only five goals behind him (just three in terms of league goals scored) he could well be worth backing in this field.
Should a new striker come in, Giroud’s playing time will diminish, thus restricting his opportunity to put more daylight between him and Walcott, who, just coming back from injury, is unlikely to need much resting between now and the end of the season.
He’s first-choice on the right-hand side of Arsenal’s front three and with his five league goals so far coming in the previous five games, it suggests he’s just getting up to speed for the second half of the campaign.
With Giroud’s goalscoring powers showing signs of wavering, now is the time for a punt on Walcott to be Arsenal’s top scorer.
All odds and markets accurate as of publication’s time and date
