Ed’s note – discuss this in the Soccerlens forum.

Now that all the dust has finally settled, it is time for Arsenal fans to start thinking about the future.

Aliadiere has departed for Middlesborough, and though I always felt bad for how unlucky he was, he was just simply never going to be good enough. Baptista has also left, which is probably for the best because as much as I wanted him to succeed, he was utter crap. The sale was that of leading goal scorer Thierry Henry. And regardless of what you think of the way he left, it is time to move on and look at who we are going to get to replace him.

For a start, I don’t think he can be replaced. There is no player in the world with a similar playing style to his, so I think fans looking for a straight replacement are going to be disappointed. We do need some stability in our team right now, so it may be better for the team to get someone proven in the Premiership. The following players have all been linked with us at some point or another since Thierry has left:

Nicholas Anelka

Wouldn’t it be ironic if the money used to sell Henry was used to buy Anelka Though some people wouldn’t agree with resigining him, it wouldn’t be the worst move we could make. He’s matured a great extent since we sold him to Real Madrid all those years ago. Without the attitude problem he would fit fine into the team. But are certain members of the Arsenal board willing to allow him to come back We probably will never know, because I don’t see an offer for him being made by Arsene.

Carlos Tevez

After a slow start, Tevez became the catalyst for the “Great Escape” that was made by West Ham this year. His pace isn’t that great, but he shows creativity combined with skill to make many defenses fall apart. He does have his drawbacks, though. The legal issues surrounding him still haven’t been sorted out, and while it would be better if these issues didn’t play a part, they do. His agent has also been shopping him around. With rumors of interest from Real Madrid, Inter Milan, and Manchester United, his price may inflate to way more than he is worth. I still believe he would be a great addition to the club.

Michael Owen

No….

Samuel Eto’o

At the beginning of the transfer period, I would have loved to have Eto’o come to Arsenal, but this rumor is starting to lose steam. If Arsenal had a chance at his signing, it probably would have been included in some sort of swap deal for Thierry Henry. I don’t need to tell you of his great skill and speed and how well he would perform in the Premiership. Sadly, this is probably our least likely signing.

Obafemi Martins

With a buyout clause of only 13 mil, I think that this would be the best move for Arsenal to make. At only 22 years of age, he scored 17 goals in his first season with Newcastle. What he lacks in height, he makes up for in speed, leaping ability, and strength. He obviously has skill, but some may think that his behavioural problems may be too much to handle. After going MIA for Newcastle’s last game and an apparent attempted murder against him in Nigeria, is his signing something that Arsenal just don’t want to get themselves into. Then again, Van Persie and Adebayor apparently had problems, and Wenger was able to set them straight.

With Wenger returning from vacation, it is time for Arsenal to get active in the transfer market. I would expect a signing within the next 2 weeks. Who do you think should be bought to fill the striker void at Arsenal

Ed’s note – discuss this in the Soccerlens forum.