Arsene Wenger revealed last week that the Gunners are close to sealing a move for the France U-21 international. The Gunners are relatively short in options up front, but have acted swiftly in the transfer market to all but conclude a deal for Sanogo.
The 20-year-old striker is eager to link up with his new teammates and believes he can become a better player under Wenger. He has scored nine league goals for Auxerre this campaign, including all four goals in a 4-5 defeat to Laval FC.
According to Sky Sports, Sanogo claims he is ready to move to Arsenal. He said, “Arsenal could be a great club for me, I scored nine goals this season with Auxerre and they think I can improve my level in England. I am pleased to be following in the footsteps of Abou Diaby who came through from Auxerre. There are many teams interested in me, but Arsenal is my choice.”
But will the Gunners be rejoicing over the news that Wenger has once again opted to develop a young French striker rather than buy the finished product? You would think not, as the Gunners are desperate to regain their stature in the upper echelons of the Premier League, having gone eight seasons without a trophy.
However, Arsenal are also chasing Fiorentina forward, Stevan Jovetic, and if they are successful in landing their man, Sanogo will have to accept more time on the bench than on the field.
The Gunners are likely to off-load Bendtner, Chamakh and Gervinho from their books, and are close to replacing them with the likes of Jovetic and Sanogo. In addition to the two likely recruits, they have Giroud who had a decent debut season as well as Walcott and Podolski, both of whom are well-equipped to fill in that position.
With such proven quality in the attacking third of the pitch for Arsenal, it seems unlikely that Sanogo will be given much playing time at the Emirates, and at 20 years of age, he will be encouraged to adapt to the fast-paced and physical demands of the Premier League.
Comparisons with club legend Thierry Henry are inevitable, and Wenger may also look to deploy Sanogo on the left wing, the same way Henry developed into the world class striker at Emirates. Sanogo may not light up the Premier League next season, but he could be a major force in the coming seasons.