Arsenal have suddenly sprung to life in the last few days.
For much of the last few weeks, fans were beginning to worry that Mikel Arteta’s side were being left behind by their Premier League rivals like Liverpool and Manchester City, who have been incredibly busy in the transfer window thus far.
However, seemingly out of nowhere, the North Londoners appear to have wrapped up deals for Christian Norgaard and Kepa Arrizabalaga, and now it looks like they are making progress on a deal to sign Christian Mosquera.
On top of that, the Gunners are now being linked with Crystal Palace’s incredible Eberechi Eze, although there is another international touted for a move to the Emirates this summer, someone who’d be a better signing than the Englishman.
Arsenal target international talent
Considering Arsenal scored 17 goals fewer than eventual Premier League champions Liverpool this season, it’s no surprise that most of their rumoured targets this summer are attacking players, with a real focus on left-wingers, such as Nico Williams and Eze.
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The former looked like he could be the answer to the Gunners’ problems in that area of the pitch, but as things stand today, he looks more likely to move to Barcelona than England.
Eze, on the other hand, does feel like a realistic target, as he’s proven himself in the Premier League for years now and has a release clause worth around £68m in his contract, which would make signing him relatively straightforward.
Yet, if Arteta and Co really want to take the team to the next level this summer and bring in someone who’d represent a real signal of intent, they might be better off signing Rodrygo.
The good news is that they might have the same idea, as, according to a recent report from Spain, Arsenal have maintained their intense interest in the Real Madrid superstar.
In fact, the report goes a step further, claiming that the Gunners are now preparing to make an offer of around €80m for the Brazilian international, which translates to around £68m.
Interestingly, the club want to stagger the payments into three installments, with the first being around €50m and the next two being €15m each, which is something they might not be able to do with the Palace star due to his release clause.
It would still be a complicated and costly transfer to get over the line, but given Rodrygo’s ability, experience and stature in the game, it’s one Arsenal should be fighting for, especially as he’d be a better signing than Eze.
Why Rodrygo would be a better signing than Eze
Okay, the first thing to say is that both players are incredibly talented footballers and would, therefore, make excellent additions to Arsenal’s squad.
After all, their raw output from this season isn’t all that far apart, as the Palace star scored 14 goals and provided 11 assists in 43 games, totalling 3303 minutes, while the Real monster produced the same goal involvements in 3448 minutes across 53 games.
However, the first real argument for the latter being the superior player emerges when we take a look under the hood and compare their underlying numbers.
Non-Penalty G+As
0.51
0.52
Progressive Passes
5.05
3.37
Progressive Passes Received
11.8
5.31
Progressive Carries
5.28
2.40
Shots
2.52
3.48
Goals per Shot
0.11
0.07
Shots on Target
0.93
0.94
Goals Per Shot on Target
0.30
0.26
Expected Assists
0.20
0.16
Key Passes
2.29
2.01
Passes into the Final Third
3.08
1.70
Shot-Creating Actions
4.95
4.69
Goal-Creating Actions
0.42
0.35
Tackles Won
0.65
0.76
Blocks
0.84
0.94
Interceptions
0.51
0.38
Clearances
0.42
0.35
Carries into the Final Third
4.07
1.67
Carries into the Penalty Area
2.34
0.76
Aerial Duels Won
0.33
0.24
For example, even though the former QPR star comes out on top in some metrics, like shots and shots on target per 90, he does far worse in the vast majority of relevant statistics.
In fact, not only does the former Santos gem do better in most attacking areas, like progressive and key passes, but also in some of the defensive metrics as well, like interceptions and clearances, highlighting his willingness to do the dirty work and help out his team.
Finally, in addition to being vastly superior in a statistical sense, the “world-class superstar,” as dubbed by Luka Modrić, is two years younger and has significantly more experience at the highest level.
For example, he has won two Champions League titles, two La Liga titles, and a host of other trophies, so he knows exactly what it takes to play at the very top of the game, which is something the Eagles ace just doesn’t have in his locker.
Ultimately, both players would be excellent signings for Arsenal, but due to his incredible experience, age and superior statistics, Arsenal should be looking to sign Rodrygo over Eze this summer.
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