The stop-start nature of Arsenal’s campaign continued over the weekend.
Mikel Arteta’s side dropped more points as they played out yet another draw against Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday evening, which could have been the nail in the coffin of their Premier League title charge were it not for a resurgent Manchester United side, who drew against Liverpool the following evening.
The Gunners have not been dreadful this season; in fact, they currently possess the best defence in the league, but they have been disappointing in attack, and it is this flaw that could cost them so dearly come May.
It would appear that this is an opinion shared by those within the club as well, as recent reports have linked them to an incredibly exciting striker this month, a striker who’s been compared to the remarkable Viktor Gyökeres.
Arsenal transfer news – new striker could be inbound
According to a recent report from Italy, Arsenal have maintained their strong interest in Juventus star Dušan Vlahović.
In fact, while it remains unclear whether the Gunners will progress with an offer this month, the report has revealed that they’ve made several enquiries about the player in recent weeks.
The report does not mention a potential price tag, but another story from late last year claimed that the former Fiorentina star could be available for around £58m.
It would still be an expensive transfer to get over the line, but given Vlahović’s ability and the Gunners’ need for attacking reinforcements, one well worth pursuing, especially as he’s won comparisons to Gyökeres.
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How Dusan Vlahovic compares to Viktor Gyokeres
Okay, before we get to some of the reasons Arsenal should sign Vlahović this month, let’s examine this comparison to the unstoppable Gyökeres and where it comes from.
Well, in this case, it primarily stems from FBref, which compares players in similar positions in this season’s Champions League, then creates a list of the ten most comparable players for each one, and, in this instance, has concluded that the Swede is the ninth most similar striker to the Serbian star.
To get a better idea of where this comparison has come from, we can look at the underlying metrics in which the pair rank closely, including, but not limited to, non-penalty expected goals, expected and actual assists, shots on target, passes into the final third and penalty area, goals-creating actions and more, all per 90.
Non-Penalty Expected Goals
0.40
0.46
Expected Assists
0.21
0.26
Actual Assists
0.23
0.17
Shots on Target
1.36
1.33
Passes into the Final 1/3
0.91
0.83
Passes into the Penalty Area
0.91
1.00
Goal-Creating Actions
0.23
0.17
With that said, what are some of the other reasons why the North Londoners should splash the cash on the 24-year-old?
Well, the first is that, as U23 scout Antonio Mango says, the Juve ace is a simply brilliant “goal machine,” which is just what Arteta needs at the moment.
For example, in 38 appearances last season, the Belgrade-born gem scored 18 goals and provided three assists, while this year, he has already racked up 12 goals and two assists in 23 games, which works out to a goal involvement every 1.80 and 1.64 games, respectively.
On top of that, the “world-class” striker, as dubbed by journalist Siavoush Fallahi, has some impressive underlying numbers to boot.
For example, according to FBref, he sits in the top 4% of strikers across Europe’s top five leagues for successful penalties, the top 10% for expected goals, the top 11% for shots and more, all per 90.
Ultimately, while Arsenal do have some supremely talented players in attack, they are just missing something extra, something that Vlahovic could provide them.
Therefore, Arteta and Co must do what they can to bring the Serbian international to the Emirates this month, as their season may depend on it.
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