Opinion 2 (by Joe Buckle)
As you will most probably have read this week, certain media outlets have been reporting that Arsenal may be in line to make a move for the controversial AC Milan striker, Mario Balotelli. Of course, nobody can forget the Italian for his days at Manchester City, and the infamous solipsistic attitude he carries with him. Some Arsenal fans have been cautious about the idea of bringing such a character into a dressing room known for its strong camaraderie, and questioned how positive an impact he may have. So, is he worth the risk?
My immediate answer would be, yes. Balotelli scored 18 goals in all competitions last season in what was a poor AC Milan side, and so what he could reach with the likes of Mesut Özil, Santi Cazorla and Aaron Ramsey acting as his supply is an exciting thought. He is a player whose game is based on his pace and athleticism, and that means he would offer something very different to that of Olivier Giroud – giving us the plan B we have been without in recent seasons. There would also be the possibility that the two could play together, if we were to return to a formation with two central strikers. Arsene Wenger has done this on both trips to Wembley this season, and so it could be something he will look to do more and more in the upcoming campaign, and Balotelli would be perfectly suited to this. His arrogant charisma shines through in the way that he plays, and he would give us a level of unpredictability in the final third that we have on occasion been without. Additionally, in his time at Man City Balotelli scored a brace at Old Trafford and netted at Stamford Bridge, before scoring for Italy against Germany in the semi-finals at Euro 2012, and this season scored against Napoli for Milan. This shows that he is a player who is capable of producing in the big games. Outside of Theo Walcott, and Aaron Ramsey to an extent, very few of our players have performed on the big occasions, and this has been one of our biggest pitfalls, not just last season, but in the last couple of seasons, also, and so he would further strengthen us in that department.
Versatile, different in style to what we already have, already adapted to English football and able to perform in the big games. That for me is the striker we need. But would Arsene Wenger see his personality as an obstacle, in the way some fans do? Well, history suggests that Wenger is far from afraid of signing players known to have attitude problems. Robin Van Persie is of course the most well known example of this, and in fact was similar in character to Balotelli before signing. However, Wenger was able to turn him around, helped him to mellow and ultimately to go on to become on the best striker’s in the world. He could do similarly with Balotelli, and arguably there would be no better manager in European football to bring the best out of a character like him. It seems like Balotelli has been around for a long time, but he is still only aged 23 and so can, and will, mature an awful lot in the next few seasons – especially if under Wenger’s guidance.
In my view, Balotelli would be a fantastic signing for the club and ticks all of the boxes for the type of striker we should sign. AC Milan are looking to sell, if reports are to be believed, and a price of £30 million has been suggested as the expected price. With the potential he has, that figure could prove to be an absolute steal. I believe that his attributes and abilities are perfectly suited to our team, which – to my mind – means he certainly is worth the risk.