Deal Close - Arsenal On The Verge Signing 23-Goal Striker Ahead Of Chelsea & West Ham

After a very long wait for a striker signing, Arsenal are reportedly now on the verge of signing a striker. We are in desperate need for a striker, especially with Danny Welbeck out injured until March 2017.

And to be fair on the club, they have been trying to sign a striker since Robin van Persie left. The only problem is their unwillingess (or rather ill-advised reluctance) to meet the going market rate for players so we can get what we need.

Last season showed clearly that a new striker is needed to act as both back up to Giroud and competition for him, if not someone who is good enough to oust the Frenchman from Arsenal's first team. Giroud works hard, but unfortunately his ability is limited. It is no fault of Giroud's, but a team like Arsenal should have someone better than him. And to be honest, it is a must this summer. We can't afford to go into another season without the signing of a striker, especially as Welbeck is still out injured.

According to bookmakers BetStars, Arsenal are the clear favourites to land the signing of Toulouse striker Ben Yedder. The 25-year-old France youth team player who has been linked with a move to Sevilla is said to be interesting Wenger, who reportedly sees him as a cheaper option to Lacazette. BetStars have Arsenal priced at 5/4 to sign Yedder ahead of the other interested clubs, which includes Tottenham, Chelsea and Everton.

At 5/4, it appears BetStars are convinced the player is certainly on his way to Arsenal. And bookmakers are often privy to insider information. An example of bookmakers' reliability is when Sky Bet in June announced they had suspended taking bets on Jamie Vardy joining Arsenal, only for the news to break the next day that Arsenal had triggered the release clause of the Englishman.

Could BetStars have been given insider information that Yedder will sign for Arsenal and not Sevilla or Tottenham or Chelsea or Leicester City?

A BetStars spokeman who spoke to the Daily Star confirmed Arsenal have all but missed out on signing Alexander Lacazette and will instead complete the signing of Yedder.

“As Arsenal look likely to miss out on Lyon striker Alexander Lacazette, they seem prepared to turn their heads elsewhere and launch a bid for Toulouse striker Wissam Ben Yedder,” said a BetStars spokesman. 

“The Gunners are currently clear favourites to sign the Frenchman at 5/4, ahead of Europa League champions Sevilla at 5/2 and Premier League rivals West Ham at 9/2.

"With Arsene Wenger desperate to strengthen his attacking options, don’t be surprised to see Ben Yedder in an Arsenal shirt next season.

Yedder will, in my opinion, not be a bad player for us. He already has quality and can only become better under a manager like Arsene Wenger. However, if we are signing him and not Lacazette, then it probably means we are reserving money for someone like Mahrez or Draxler and a centre back. That will make a lot of sense. However, signing only Yedder won't go down well with the fans, especially if the Frenchman doesn't hit the ground running.