Should Arsenal target Greek forward Konstantinos Mitroglou?

Konstantinos Mitroglou

Arsenal have been linked with many strikers over the last few months, but one name that has slipped under the radar somewhat is Konstantinos Mitroglou. According to the Daily Star Arsenal are weighing up a move for the £7.5million-rated Greek forward.

25-year-old Mitroglou is on form this season, having netted on 22 occasions for club and country. This includes three Champions League goals in his five appearances.

Olympiakos coach Jose Miguel Michel said: “If he keeps on doing well, it will be hard to keep him. We’ve known for some time that there has been interest from many clubs, but that’s only logical considering how well he has been doing lately.”

He may not be the big name striker that the Arsenal fans are craving, but with January always a hard time to buy the best, Mitroglou could be a more realistic option. However he certainly has areas to improve on, and at 25, still playing in the Greek league leaves many question marks over his ability. You will struggle to find a player who works harder than him, though. With incredible strength and finishing ability, Mitroglou always works hard to improve his chances of scoring and his teams’ chances of winning.

His team Olympiakos are currently strolling at the top of the league, with 14 wins and one draw in 15 games. Mitroglou has played a big part in the Greek clubs dominance at the top of the table. There are question marks over the quality of the opposition in his domestic league, but he has also proven his quality in the Champions League. For a striker, his 75% pass accuracy is pretty impressive, and he looks like he would be capable of fitting into Arsenal’s system, which requires the lone striker to link up with others and hold the ball up well. Giroud, who is considered to link up play well, only has a 68% accuracy in Europe.

Despite not being one of the best, he can be considered an effective striker. He has an ambitious nature about the way he plays, and this is highlighted in his shooting, averaging over one shot from outside the box a game in the Champions League this season. You can’t blame him though, his long shots often find the back of the net, and this is something of a specialty of his.

However, he would be cup tied in Europe due to already playing in the Champions League this season. This makes a purchase less likely; with the Gunners boss Arsene Wenger more likely to take his time to secure a striker of Ozil’s calibre. The likes of Marco Reus and Karim Benzema have been heavily linked, with a last minute loan move for Demba Ba falling through in the summer. Liverpool have also been linked with the Greek striker, and more and more clubs around Europe are starting to take notice following his impressive performances domestically, in Europe and for his country. Whilst this wouldn’t be the luxury purchase many desire, it would be foolish to say that he wouldn’t add something new and another option to the Arsenal squad.