When there’s not too much going on, some like to cling at straws, using names that generate interest and news, like putting Fernando Torres and Arsenal together in the same boat, as if Chelsea have a chance of selling Torres to such a club.
According to the Sunday People, Arsene Wenger has been impressed with what he’s seen from Torres in the Confederations Cup (destroying Tahiti?) and from his few moments of success this past season (scoring 22 goals in all competitions), and would like to pair him up with Gonzalo Higuain in the Arsenal front.
A few problems from this “theory” which is mostly written to generate views and paper buys, nothing else.
Gonzalo Higuain isn’t an Arsenal player yet. Arsenal might be the closest to signing him from Real Madrid, but Juventus are still in the contest for the Uruguayan striker, and from the looks of things, Juventus might also be the team Higuain is more inclined to end up with, although Arsenal can offer more money to Real Madrid.
The second problem in this whole issue is Wenger doesn’t play with two strikers – hasn’t for a very long time, and it’s hard to believe two forwards like Torres and Higuain, with all their expenses coming along with them, will feature in the same lineup, with Wenger simply not having the kind of team and tactical M.O. to use two target men in the same lineup.
And there’s the money thing as well, Torres’ salary. Chelsea would love some club to pick up Torres, willing to settle for an offer worth £15-20 million, but teams in the major European leagues aren’t going to pay Torres’ salary, which is one of the highest in Europe, as surprising as it sounds. Arsenal have a very strict wage structure (which hasn’t been working for them in keeping players happy and content), which they won’t break for a 29-year old who is most like way over the hill.