Do Arsenal really need a Giroud replacement?

Giroud’s injury-plagued season highlighted a lack of depth in the central striker position.

Much of the offensive players are pacy who like to drift in and out, and not just play as the central striker. Walcott has repeatedly expressed a desire to be the main man up front, but Giroud is different to the other players. His presence up front makes Arsenal more dangerous on set pieces.

The others do not offer this, this raises the question, do we really need a Giroud replacement?

Giroud does have his limitations like any other striker. His average goals per game ratio against teams outside the top four is 0.5 goals per game. But it drops to 0.2 against the Big Four. Nevertheless, he has scored an impressive 19 goals in 21 starts. Wenger chose to pick Theo Walcott ahead of him in the FA Cup Final against Aston Villa. This decision surprised a few, as Giroud has been the main striker since making his return from injury, and proved some his doubters wrong by scoring again.

Some have said we need another top quality striker, which would mean he would be more likely be on the bench. However, this is the cost of being a potentially title-winning team, players have to accept to playing less. Arsenal don’t necessarily need to replace the Frenchman but rather add a striker who can complement what we already have.

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