Both Chelsea and Arsenal seem set to battle it out for French forward Loic Remy‘s signature.

With only a day to go before the transfer window slams shut, both London clubs need at least one more goalscorer in their squad to feel more confident in a major title challenge.

Chelsea have just loaned out Fernando Torres to Milan. They’ve also sold Romelu Lukaku and Demba Ba, plus freed Samuel Eto’o this summer. They have brought back ‘Blues’ icon Didier Drogba and spent big getting world-class striker Diego Costa in at the Bridge. Jose Mourinho also has a few in his squad that can play in a false nine role.

But the Portuguese manager has sensed with the Torres departure, that one more hitman could be needed just to keep things ticking over.

With Remy they would be getting a different type of striker. Costa can offer both pace and strength and will always be the number one striker (especially when in-form like he is at the moment). But the Spanish internationalist is prone to hamstring problems and could pick up quite a few cards and suspensions in a season.

So extra cover could be important. Drogba is known for his bulldozing power but sometimes you need a different option. That’s where Remy comes in as he has an abundance of pace that will threaten any back line. He could be seen as the new Nicolas Anelka at Stamford Bridge. A great foil and back-up striker.

Arsenal’s need is even more obvious. Main striker Olivier Giroud faces months on the sidelines with a broken foot. Youngsters Joel Campbell and Yaya Sanogo are both still too raw to lead the line in a full-time capacity. Theo Walcott is still not match fit. That puts a lot of pressure on £32m man Alexis Sanchez. The Chilean can play up top but Arsenal need a plan b and an experienced forward to offer goals and competition, no matter what Arsene Wenger tries to tell us. Remy could be a poor mans Thierry Henry!

It should also be noted that Loic is a self-confessed ‘Gunner’.

As I’ve already mentioned Remy gives any potential employer a great outlet up-front with his vast pace. The QPR man also has a good instinct for getting goals. His English Premier League (EPL) experience could be vital too. Both sides want a player that can settle in quickly. His twenty goals in forty-one EPL appearances is highly impressive. Then you add in the factor that he’ll only cost you £10.5m due to a buy-out clause.

So you can see why both Premier League powerhouses want the French internationalist. But his attitude has been called into question in the past and then we have the medical questions too.

A move to Liverpool collapsed this summer due to a failed medical and during his Marseille days in 2010 it was announced that Remy suffered from a heart defect. That condition didn’t stop him moving to L’OM or QPR for that matter but it’ll be interesting to see how Chelsea/Arsenal deal with his medical.

By the second of September we shall know who Loic Remy will line up for this season. It could be a huge decision. All league winning teams need strength and depth, especially in the forward areas. The twenty-seven year old will bring goals and that could help bring the league title back to London!

Posted on August 31st, 2014 by scott
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