Arsenal told two Arsenal Wenger signings would solve immediate Mikel Arteta problem

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Both Olivier Giroud and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang were recently named in a hypothetical debate about potential Arsenal loan signings. 

Arsenal are on the hunt for a striker.

According to transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano, the Gunners are keen to bring in a new goalscorer this month. 

The north London club have been linked with a number of high-profile, big money forwards.

However, Arsenal are not currently in a position to splash the cash. Mikel Arteta has extremely limited financial resource to work with. As such, sporting director Edu will be on the lookout for potential bargains, or short-term solutions that could be sourced via the loan market.

This issue recently gave rise to a debate on the Arsecast Extra podcast, when hosts Andrew Mangan and James McNicholas were asked which former Arsenal striker, based on their current form for other clubs, would they like to see brought back to the Emirates Stadium on a temporary basis until the end of the campaign. 

The four players they were given to choose from were Danny Welbeck, Alexandre Lacazette, Olivier Giroud, and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. All were players signed during Arsene Wenger’s reign at the club, though Lacazette and Aubameyang were still on the payroll when Arteta took the helm.

In response to this thought experiment, McNicolas said, “six-month loan, hmm, I guess the correct answer…I guess he’s [Aubameyang] my answer.” Mangan then chipped in with, “I would go Giroud…it would just be something a little bit different.”

Could Arsenal still make use of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang or Olivier Giroud?

Both Aubameyang and Giroud had ups-and-downs in their Arsenal careers, and both possess very different qualities. 

Whilst Aubameyang was a more prolific striker, he relied upon his blistering pace to give him the edge. Now 34-years-old, the Gabonese attacker is not the explosive player he once was. He currently plies his trade in Ligue 1 for Marseille, and has been in decent form this season, racking up 13 goals in 26 outings across all competitions.

However, last time he tested himself in the Premier League, in a brief stint at Chelsea, he failed to make an impact.

Giroud, on the other hand, whilst he was never as devastating as Aubameyang was at his peak, has not been so diminished by age. The 6’4” 37-year-old never had much pace to lose, but instead leaned on his smart movement, good technique, and aerial prowess to thrive.

He remains an important player at AC Milan. So far this season, the Frenchman has contributed 11 goals and 7 assists across 24 appearances in all competitions.

In truth, though, neither player could offer much of a solution to Arteta’s current concerns at this stage in their careers.