It is a risk but not all risks are unjustified. Let's say the 20M vs 35M prices are realistic, then you'll be paying 15M more for proven star strikers. 15 less for an (admittedly very talented) player that has had one very good season in Ligue 1. If money isn't an issue, one would obviously in our position go for the safer option in Cavani/Higuain.
Now, I'm not saying we shouldn't go for it and, in fact, I think we will go with a purchase along the lines of Giroud or Damiao as the market develops and we seek to strike a balance between being ambitious and being responsible. I'd also rather have Giroud than Dzeko based on several factors, with wage level being the foremost of those.
Balance wise it would be nice to have 1 LW, 1 LWF (Vucinic), 1 RW (Pepe), 1 RWF, 1 Poacher (Matri), 1 dynamic CF and 1 Utility forward (Quag). Giacch can probably cover that LW spot which leaves RWF and CF to be filled. An attack sheet like that provides both rotation and tactical flexibility. Buying only a star striker and leaving Pepe as the only option on the right still leaves us vulnerable. As such, I'd much prefer a Giroud + L. Suarez/M. Suarez/G. Ramirez type deal than just a Cavani/Higuain deal.
But as to just the CF position, viewed in isolation, taking on Giroud instead of e.g. Cavani must still be considered a risk considering our current level of ambition.
Now, I'm not saying we shouldn't go for it and, in fact, I think we will go with a purchase along the lines of Giroud or Damiao as the market develops and we seek to strike a balance between being ambitious and being responsible. I'd also rather have Giroud than Dzeko based on several factors, with wage level being the foremost of those.
Balance wise it would be nice to have 1 LW, 1 LWF (Vucinic), 1 RW (Pepe), 1 RWF, 1 Poacher (Matri), 1 dynamic CF and 1 Utility forward (Quag). Giacch can probably cover that LW spot which leaves RWF and CF to be filled. An attack sheet like that provides both rotation and tactical flexibility. Buying only a star striker and leaving Pepe as the only option on the right still leaves us vulnerable. As such, I'd much prefer a Giroud + L. Suarez/M. Suarez/G. Ramirez type deal than just a Cavani/Higuain deal.
But as to just the CF position, viewed in isolation, taking on Giroud instead of e.g. Cavani must still be considered a risk considering our current level of ambition.
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Thread Starter
#23
It took €40m to bring Falcao from Portugal to Spain, it will take more than that to get him to Italy.
Džeko, seriously? I'd take Giroud over Džeko at any day. Juve do not only need a striker who's capable of scoring goals, but they need a striker with great technical ability who can bring others to play. Džeko might have better scoring ability than Giroud, but Giroud is more mobile and got much more into his game. Giroud can run with the ball, dribble his way out of trouble and certainly he's not shy to put a pass that a playmaker would be proud of.
The beautiful thing about Olivier is that he's strong enough to bully the other defenders, but also fast enough to out pace them, and composed and comfortable on the ball to devastate them.
Not to mention his nifty left foot and extraordinary technique, this guy is a perfect fit for Juve.
---------- Post added 24.05.2012 at 21:57 ----------
Ignoring the fact that Higuain, for all his talent is a more limited player than Giroud?
Džeko, seriously? I'd take Giroud over Džeko at any day. Juve do not only need a striker who's capable of scoring goals, but they need a striker with great technical ability who can bring others to play. Džeko might have better scoring ability than Giroud, but Giroud is more mobile and got much more into his game. Giroud can run with the ball, dribble his way out of trouble and certainly he's not shy to put a pass that a playmaker would be proud of.
The beautiful thing about Olivier is that he's strong enough to bully the other defenders, but also fast enough to out pace them, and composed and comfortable on the ball to devastate them.
Not to mention his nifty left foot and extraordinary technique, this guy is a perfect fit for Juve.
---------- Post added 24.05.2012 at 21:57 ----------
Ignoring the fact that Higuain, for all his talent is a more limited player than Giroud?
Put this way, I do agree.
I'd like to add that he does seem a bit risky, given it's his first big season, but he's not as much of a risk as one would think as he's been consistently scoring and assisting in ligue 1 and ligue 2. He already scored 21 goals in Ligue 2 in 2009/2010 and made 7 assist; it isn't worth as much as ligue 1, but it does show that it isn't his first big achievement. And then, in Ligue 1 in 2010/2011, he made 12 goals and 5 assist which is not too shabby either, if you consider the fact it was his first season in Ligue 1 and that he was adapting to a new league.
All of that does show that he's been somewhat consistent the past two years, that he's been improving and that it isn't really a 'big season' out of no where like it was the case for Gignac's for example. Not comparing those two, though, because Gignac wasn't and isn't even close to Giroud.
I didn't take into consideration his wages in my other post, but regardless, I'll comment on Dzeko below.
I agree yet again; really good post all around.
I didn't mean to consider Falcao; I thought it was clear, but nevermind.
Juve especially needs a great goalscorer (as well as a winger, but let's avoid talking about that), but it could do with a striker who can bring others to play; for me, both would be ok.
I still rate Dzeko highly and I'm sure he will do well here if we can bring a player to support him. I've seen a lot of him at Wolfsburg; less at City, but enough to notice he doesn't fit City's play style. He didn't feature a lot in this campaign compared to the other strikers; only 1499 minutes in fact, but with 1 goal/assist every 78 minutes like someone said in his thread, he still has the third best average in EPL this season. Not bad, especially as it is considered a poor season. I think he would be a good fit to our squad and to Serie A too. He does need confidence, and here, he would be the main man so it could give him more, perhaps. The guy has a really good shot technique and positioning, which are attributes I really like; his main weakness remains his poor touch, which is still really not that bad; I think it is no big deal if compared to what he can bring.
I know Giroud's game quite well and I know what he brings, having watched him a lot this season; I really like his style. However, Dzeko is a more confirmed player than him, as he did have several good seasons in top leagues. Giroud did score 21 goals in a league which is more organized defensively than Bundesliga (not saying they have the better defenders), though. They are both tempting for different reasons.
All in all, it is a difficult choice, but if you consider other aspects such has wages and price, then Giroud might have the edge.
As in, Giroud is more complete? Yes. Otherwise, Higuain is the better goalscorer and has the better movement arguably as well.
I'd like to add that he does seem a bit risky, given it's his first big season, but he's not as much of a risk as one would think as he's been consistently scoring and assisting in ligue 1 and ligue 2. He already scored 21 goals in Ligue 2 in 2009/2010 and made 7 assist; it isn't worth as much as ligue 1, but it does show that it isn't his first big achievement. And then, in Ligue 1 in 2010/2011, he made 12 goals and 5 assist which is not too shabby either, if you consider the fact it was his first season in Ligue 1 and that he was adapting to a new league.
All of that does show that he's been somewhat consistent the past two years, that he's been improving and that it isn't really a 'big season' out of no where like it was the case for Gignac's for example. Not comparing those two, though, because Gignac wasn't and isn't even close to Giroud.
I didn't take into consideration his wages in my other post, but regardless, I'll comment on Dzeko below.
I agree yet again; really good post all around.
I didn't mean to consider Falcao; I thought it was clear, but nevermind.
Juve especially needs a great goalscorer (as well as a winger, but let's avoid talking about that), but it could do with a striker who can bring others to play; for me, both would be ok.
I still rate Dzeko highly and I'm sure he will do well here if we can bring a player to support him. I've seen a lot of him at Wolfsburg; less at City, but enough to notice he doesn't fit City's play style. He didn't feature a lot in this campaign compared to the other strikers; only 1499 minutes in fact, but with 1 goal/assist every 78 minutes like someone said in his thread, he still has the third best average in EPL this season. Not bad, especially as it is considered a poor season. I think he would be a good fit to our squad and to Serie A too. He does need confidence, and here, he would be the main man so it could give him more, perhaps. The guy has a really good shot technique and positioning, which are attributes I really like; his main weakness remains his poor touch, which is still really not that bad; I think it is no big deal if compared to what he can bring.
I know Giroud's game quite well and I know what he brings, having watched him a lot this season; I really like his style. However, Dzeko is a more confirmed player than him, as he did have several good seasons in top leagues. Giroud did score 21 goals in a league which is more organized defensively than Bundesliga (not saying they have the better defenders), though. They are both tempting for different reasons.
All in all, it is a difficult choice, but if you consider other aspects such has wages and price, then Giroud might have the edge.
As in, Giroud is more complete? Yes. Otherwise, Higuain is the better goalscorer and has the better movement arguably as well.
Not only is Giroud one of the most technically gifted poachers I have seen in a long time, he is also available on the cheap - on the very cheap. In his contract I believe there is a 16m € but-out clause that could be met to take Giroud anywhere he himself desires. The president of Montpellier recently valued his player at 40/50 million €, but as long as his contract says otherwise there is not reason to worry. Giroud would, unlike the other of our main transfer targets be really cheap, I mean just 1 more million then what we paid for Matri and Quagliarella.
Other clubs might be interested but if he had the choice of Arsenal, Bayern and whatever I really think we in Juve have a good chance luring him over here. We have a new interpretor in Pogba after all (no that was a bad joke.)
Like i said before:
Giroud 16m €
Dzeko 25m €
Higuain 30-35m €
Suarez 30m €
Jovetic 25-30m €
Cavani 40-45m €
Do you get my point? Giroud = other quality players = a more moneywise buy.
Other clubs might be interested but if he had the choice of Arsenal, Bayern and whatever I really think we in Juve have a good chance luring him over here. We have a new interpretor in Pogba after all (no that was a bad joke.)
Like i said before:
Giroud 16m €
Dzeko 25m €
Higuain 30-35m €
Suarez 30m €
Jovetic 25-30m €
Cavani 40-45m €
Do you get my point? Giroud = other quality players = a more moneywise buy.
I am no spokeswoman in Delphi but I believe what I read sometimes 
See http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/3274/ligue-1/2012/02/12/2901485/montpellier-slap-134m-price-tag-on-arsenal-target-olivier-giroud-
See http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/3274/ligue-1/2012/02/12/2901485/montpellier-slap-134m-price-tag-on-arsenal-target-olivier-giroud-
I am no spokeswoman in Delphi but I believe what I read sometimes See http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/3274/ligue-1/2012/02/12/2901485/montpellier-slap-134m-price-tag-on-arsenal-target-olivier-giroud-
See http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/3274/ligue-1/2012/02/12/2901485/montpellier-slap-134m-price-tag-on-arsenal-target-olivier-giroud-
It definitely is a bargain at that price.