Arsenal sign striker Park Chu Young from AS Monaco

Arsenal have announced the signing of South Korean international striker Park Chu Young from AS Monaco, subject to a formal registration process. Arsenal have their number nine again (in theory, anyhow):

Chu Young Park will wear the No 9 shirt at Arsenal. The striker prefers to be known as 'Ju' and will therefore have J. Y. Park as his shirt name.

After a blistering youth career where Ju basically went beast mode in AFC Youth Championships, South Korea lost their collective minds for him. He would go on hellacious scoring streaks for FC Seoul during his time there, and after moving to AS Monaco, his streaky scoring continued. Last year, he put 12 home in 33 appearances for the Ligue 1 side. Internationally, Ju has 53 caps for the senior South Korea side, scoring a good free kick against Nigeria in the 2010 World Cup to help his nation reach the round of 16.

Now aged 26, he is still at the peak of his career, and will offer a good alternative to Robin van Persie at the front of the Arsenal attack. He is also capable of playing on the right or left wing or as a number 10 behind the striker, a bit of versatility that Arsenal can use at the moment. He fulfills a need at striker, too, where the alternatives to Robin van Persie are either so far out of form that they cannot even see it anymore (Marouane Chamakh) or not really in the plans at the moment (Nicklas Bendtner).

Also, he was by far the best young player to sign in PES 5, so there's that. Seriously. He was unstoppable after two years in that game. I loved him. And now I love him again.