Tuesday 14 July 2015 17:58, UK
With some of the biggest clubs in the Premier League still needing to add strikers to their squad this summer, we look at six of the big names potentially available…
While Liverpool look likely to invest their expected windfall from Raheem Sterling’s sale to sign a new forward, Manchester United have seen Radamel Falcao and Robin van Persie leave.
Arsenal supporters will be hoping to see some competition for Olivier Giroud, while more business from the likes of Chelsea and Manchester City cannot be ruled out.
Here are just some of the big-name options who could find themselves on the radar as clubs go in search of that commodity any successful team needs in abundance – goals.
Edinson Cavani
The Paris St Germain forward has scored 112 league goals over the past five seasons in Serie A and Ligue 1 to put himself in the top bracket of strikers in Europe. His stock has fallen ever so slightly after failing to hit his Napoli heights with PSG where he’s played second fiddle to Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and with Cavani turning 29 in February resale value could be an issue. But the pedigree is there to make Cavani a late-summer option for a host of clubs.
Gonzalo Higuain
Higuain was Argentina’s Copa America villain as his missed chances in the final – including a penalty in the shoot-out – proved costly, but his goalscoring record remains impressive. Indeed, the 27-year-old is averaging almost 20 goals per season over the past seven years – all spent in major European leagues. Higuain was linked strongly with Arsenal last summer but Napoli owner Aurelio de Laurentiis insists it’ll take £64million for him to sell.
Karim Benzema
Benzema has frequently been linked with leaving Real Madrid but his unselfish movement has long made him an intelligent foil for Cristiano Ronaldo. He’s also a consistent goalscorer in his own right having topped 20 goals in all competitions for each of the past five seasons. The France international is only 27 and while he would appear valued at the Bernabeu, that’s what Mesut Ozil might have thought too. Benzema would be an asset for any Premier League squad.
Alexandre Lacazette
The Lyon forward was the goalscoring revelation of Europe last season as he fired his club back into the Champions League, netting 27 times in the process – France’s top scorer. Lacazette has pace to burn, can finish with either foot and his flexibility in the final third might be of particular interest to Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers. At 24, he’s the youngest man on this list, would be available at the right fee and offers resale potential too.
Javier Hernandez
Seemingly deemed surplus to requirements at both Manchester United and Real Madrid, Hernandez has found himself linked with a move to MLS. But having just turned 27, the Mexican might be a useful asset to plenty of other top-level European teams. After all, the poacher delivered a league goal every 129 minutes for United (more often than Robin van Persie) and every 123 minutes for Real (better than Benzema). Don’t write him off just yet.
Christian Benteke
Everyone knows there is a buy-out clause of £32.5million but despite being one of only six men to score 10 goals or more in each of the last three Premier League seasons, there has been no movement yet for the big striker. He’s 24 and would surely be a good dressing-room fit at plenty of top English clubs given the growing Belgian contingents around. However, doubts remain about the on-field adjustment needed given Aston Villa’s preference for hitting the target man early.
