Burnley striker should be considered by Arsenal

As Arsenal gear up to lose Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang before too long, the Gunners have been urged to look at Burnley striker Chris Wood to help ease the Gabon international's possible exit.

Aubameyang is expected to leave Arsenal in the summer as he enters the final year of his Gunners contract, with a host of Europe's top sides courting the striker. 

The 30-year-old has shown no indication that he is willing to extend his stay in north London and Arsenal would rather sell this summer than lose him on a free next year. 

And Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has been urged by Arsenal fan and sports writer Matt Scott to consider Wood should Aubameyang move on this summer. 

"If Arsenal do lose Aubameyang or Lacazette, then Eddie Nketiah and Gabriel Martinelli, great as they look, are still too raw at the age they are to be leading the line for a club like Arsenal," Scott told talkSPORT via The Daily Star. 

"So they are going to have to look at another centre forward and, believe it or not, I believe it should be Chris Wood. People are not going to like it, but I’ll tell you why I think so. 

"It’s my view that Arsenal are missing Olivier Giroud. He always gave them another way of playing. In his prime he was very, very good for Arsenal and since he’s come back into the Chelsea team this season he’s been terrific. 

"Giroud’s minutes-per-goal ratio in his last few seasons at Arsenal was unbelievably good, he’s a real finisher and I think you’ve got one in Chris Wood at Burnley as well. 

"The first thing you have to say about Arsenal generally is they are absolutely the worst team in the air in the whole Premier League. It’s astonishing how bad they are. 

"Wood is an absolute identikit to Giroud, in football terms. He’s not necessarily the quickest, but I think he’s quicker than Giroud. 

"He’s got a chance conversion rate of 1 in every 4.8 [chances], and when you compare that to 1 in every 6.5 for Lacazette, he’s a finisher. 

"And that, of course, is also him playing for Burnley and not with the creative players there are in the Arsenal team. 

"I think you can’t scoff at what a good goalscorer Chris Wood is." 

Wood has scored more headed goals (5) than any other Premier League player this season, that the same number as Arsenal.