It’s been a busy week or so for Arsenal.
After a slow start to the transfer window, Mikel Arteta’s side have finally started to make moves, with deals for Christian Norgaard and Arrizabalaga right around the corner, and the announcement of Martin Zubimendi’s arrival could come in a matter of days.
However, while those three will undoubtedly improve the squad, especially the Real Sociedad star, what fans really want is for the club to sign some attacking talent.
Fortunately, reports linking Arsenal to Eberechi Eze have emerged in recent days, although another Premier League star is now being touted for a move to the Emirates, a winger who would be an upgrade on the Crystal Palace ace.
Arsenal target big Eze upgrade
Links to Eze aren’t anything new for Arsenal, as the Crystal Palace star was touted for a move to the club last summer, only for him to remain at Selhurst Park.
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However, it would be fair to say that the reports from the last couple of days revealing the Gunners’ interest in him have felt different, with some claiming that talks have already been held with the player’s representatives.
If the Premier League runners-up are to persevere with their supposed interest in the Englishman, they’ll have to stump up a fee of around £68m to activate the release clause in his current deal, and while he may be worth that much money, it would appear as if another talented international from the Premier League has caught the attention of the North Londoners.
At least that’s according to a recent report from transfers expert Fabrizio Romano, who told GIVEMESPORT that Arsenal are interested in Anthony Gordon.
The Italian journalist has revealed that Arteta and his team are big fans of the Newcastle United star, and that while they’ve not made contact with the player or the Magpies, he has been someone they’ve “discussed internally.”
How much the former Everton gem might cost the Gunners is not mentioned in Romano’s report, but according to stories from earlier this summer, he could be available for around £80m.
It would be a complicated and incredibly costly transfer to get done, but given Gordon’s ability and potential, it is one Arsenal should pursue, especially as he could be an upgrade on Eze.
How Gordon compares to Eze
First and foremost, signing either Eze or Gordon would be brilliant business for Arsenal this summer, as it would be fair to say that neither Leandro Trossard nor Gabriel Martinelli grabbed the left wing position this season.
Moreover, if Arteta and Co sign the Palace star to play him in attacking midfield, then he’d be great competition for Martin Odegaard, but, with that said, there are a few reasons why we still reckon the Newcastle gem would be the better signing.
The first relates to his output, as while the former QPR gem was more productive this season, the former Toffees star had him comfortably beaten last year with a haul of 28 goal involvements in 48 games to 17 in 31, which just shows that when properly platformed, he can reach a higher level of performance.
However, examining their raw output is only one way to assess a player’s ability; another is to take a closer look under the hood and compare their underlying numbers.
Interestingly, when we do that for this season, the Toon star comes out looking far more impressive than his competitor.
Non-Penalty Expected G+As
0.42
0.53
Progressive Passes
3.63
3.37
Progressive Passes Received
7.93
5.31
Progressive Carries
4.48
2.40
Key Passes
1.89
2.01
Passes into the Penalty Area
2.04
1.35
Crosses into the Penalty Area
0.63
0.14
Passes into the Final Third
2.41
1.70
Shot-Creating Actions
3.74
4.69
Goal-Creating Actions
0.44
0.35
Carries into the Penalty Areas
2.07
0.76
Carries into the Final Third
2.30
1.67
Aerial Duels Won
0.30
0.24
For example, the 12-capped “nightmare,” as he describes himself, performs better in creative metrics, such as progressive passes, passes into the penalty area, and goal-creating actions, while also excelling in direct possession statistics, including progressive carries and carries into the penalty area, all per 90.
Numbers like these help show that the Magpies’ dynamic winger could aid the Gunners in build-up play, as well as making them far more dangerous in those games that develop into transitional, slogging matches.
Finally, and this is important with regard to squad building, the Newcastle ace is just 24 years old, whereas the Eagles star has just turned 27 and, based on research carried out by The Athletic, that means, we can expect the former to continue to improve in the coming years, but that isn’t the case for the latter.
Ultimately, based on his underlying numbers, ability to produce a high volume of goal involvements, and his age, Gordon appears to be the better signing for Arsenal. Therefore, the North Londoners should do all they can to bring him to the Emirates this summer.
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