In today’s transfer news, it looks like Hernan Crespo wants to return to Italy while Bayern Munich are inching closer to signing Ruud Van Nistelrooy. The question it leaves in my mind is this: Who are the strikers that’ll be banging in the goals this upcoming season?
At Liverpool, the team has Craig Bellamy, Robbie Fowler and Peter Crouch available. Quite a bunch of misfits, but all three of them could achieve goals if they’re in-form. However, for me, they’re all too inconsistent.
Manchester United, meanwhile, has Wayne Rooney, Van Nistelrooy (for now), Louis Saha, Ole Solksjaer, Giuseppi Rossi and Alan Smith. Rossi has failed to net any goals in the friendly matches in South Africa. Smith, when not injured, is a better midfielder than striker. Solksjaer can be clinical in his finishing but is too injury prone. So, Saha and Rooney would be their best bets but they need adequate service from midfield.
Chelsea have the pick of the bunch with Shevchenko and Drogba up front, with Crespo probably on his way out, but Kalou (from the Ivory Coast) as a back-up. He scored 15 goals last season for Feyenoord in the Dutch league, so it’ll be interesting to see how he performs in the Premiership. It’ll be fascinating to see how Drogba and Shevchenko link up, unless Mourinho decides to stay with a 4-5-1/4-3-3 formation.
Looking at Arsenal, the team has the most number of dangerous striking options with Thierry Henry, Adebayor, Robin Van Persie and Antonio Reyes. Van Persie and Reyes, though, need to step up their goalscoring output.
