In a move that has, quite frankly, surprised no one, Arsenal have finally signed centre forward Marouanne Chamakh from Bordeaux. The transfer had initially been mooted for last summer, but the 26 year old striker ran his contract down and moves to The Emirates from July 1st on a long term deal.
Arsene Wenger has long been a fan, and following the official unveiling, the Gunners boss declared:
Chamakh is a striker of real quality and has all the attributes suited to come to England and do very well….He is very good in the air and is a good team player. He is a great addition to our squad. He is a fighter, not only a good football player, but a fighter as well…We are all looking forward to him joining us.
Back in February, Chamakh revealed there were a few teams hot on his tail, with Premier League interest including Liverpool and Spurs, as well as huge offers from Russian clubs. However, the 6 foot 2 target-man showed a skill for making all the right noises today as he declared:
This is a dream come true and a great joy to be joining Arsenal. My goal was always to play in the Premier League and Arsenal was the choice of my heart…The team and history of Arsenal, they make me dream.
The Stats
Bordeaux has been Chamakh’s only club, and he stayed there for a total of eight seasons, bagging 79 goals from 293 games in the process. Having fired the club to the 2008-09 French title, he really stepped up in class last season, scoring 5 goals in 9 Champions League games, including goals against Bayern Munich and Juventus as Laurent Blanc‘s team won their group with ease.
Although he scored in both legs of the Champions League quarter finals, Chamakh’s efforts were not quite enough to stop Bordeaux narrowly losing out 3-2 to Lyon. His strike rate at club level may not be prolific, but those performances last season have done enough to suggest he is unquestionably maturing as a goalscorer. His goals per game record is much more impressive on the international scene; 27 goals in 53 for Morocco.
The Prospects
One of the most intriguing aspects of the transfer will be whether the move results in a change in Arsenal’s formation. Arsene Wenger employed a 4-2-3-1 variant last season with Robin van Persie, in particular, revelling in the “false nine” lone front man role.
Van Persie was third highest-scoring forward in terms of points per game in Fantasy Premier League (FPL), and it will be interesting to see how the Arsenal boss sees his first-choice XI when/if they are all fit. Given the success of his central role, a move out wide for van Persie would surely be detrimental to Arsenal’s chances of success. Will Chamakh, therefore, be given the chance to play alongside him?
Wenger did acknowledge a lack of strength in depth proved costly in the league run-in, and although the much-maligned Nicklas Bendtner proved a decent replacement in covering when injury, inevitably, sidelined van Persie, it would be surprising if Chamakh -having been a long term Wenger target- comes to The Emirates to bench-warm.
Similar to Arsenal, Bordeaux (having previously been more familiar with a 4-4-2 formation) implemented a 4-2-3-1 system for last season, suggesting Chamakh will fit seamlessly into either of the systems should Wenger choose them.
With van Persie being the Arsenal forward of choice for the majority of fantasy players, it’s perhaps best to reserve judgement until pre-season friendlies unfold, where Chamakh’s position within the team may be clearer. Indeed, as both van Persie and Bendtner are playing through the summer, Wenger may very well look to Chamakh as a starter from the off next season, with a rest for his other forwards possibly on the cards, dependant on their respective countries performance in South Africa 2010.