It would be fair to say that this season hasn’t exactly gone to plan for Arsenal so far.
In the games leading up to the last international break, Mikel Arteta’s side looked bereft of ideas and suffered because of it.
However, in the last couple of weeks, the North Londoners have looked back to somewhere near their best, and thanks to some impressive wins against West Ham United and Manchester United, they are well and truly back in the Premier League title race.
With that said, according to reports, the club are looking to strengthen their frontline in a bid to ensure they aren’t struggling for goals next year, and the latest player touted for a move to the Emirates has been compared to Erling Haaland and Victor Osimhen and would be an ideal Kai Havertz upgrade.
Arsenal transfer news
According to a recent report from Caught Offside, Arsenal are keen to add a new striker to their ranks in 2025, and one of the names on their list of targets is Juventus ace Dušan Vlahović.
However, the Gunners may have to contend with stiff competition, as the report has revealed that Chelsea are also interested in the Serbian superstar.
On top of the competition, it won’t be a cheap transfer to get over the line either, as the report claims that only offers in and around €75m – £62m – will tempt the Old Lady into selling.
That said, considering his comparisons to Haaland and Osimhen, alongside his raw ability, that may be value for money, especially as he could be an ideal upgrade on Havertz.
How Vlahović compares to Haaland, Osimhen and Havertz
Okay, so before we look at how Vlahović would be an upgrade on Havertz, let’s examine these comparisons to Haaland and Osimhen and where they come from.
They primarily stem from FBref, which compares players in similar positions in Europe’s top five leagues, the Champions League and Europa League, then creates a list of the ten most comparable players for each one, and in this instance, has concluded that the Norwegian is the fifth most similar forward to the Serbian over the last 365 days, while the Nigerian is the seventh most similar based on his form from last season.
The best way to see where this comparison has come from is to look at the underlying metrics in which the trio ranks closely, metrics including, but not limited to, expected goals, expected assists, goals per shot on target, passing accuracy, live passes, interceptions and aerial duel win percentage, all per 90.
Expected Goals
0.75
0.87
0.70
Expected Assists
0.04
0.06
0.04
Goals per Shot on Target
0.23
0.32
0.33
Passing Accuracy
68.8%
69.0%
66.9%
Live Passes
12.6
10.0
12.2
Interceptions
0.09
0.14
0.09
Aerial Duel Win %
46.9
42.1
44.0
On top of these statistical similarities, all three are also physically imposing forwards who have no problem using their stature to gain an advantage over their opponents, which is a characteristic Arteta clearly appreciates these days.
However, how does the Juve “machine”, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, compare to Havertz?
Well, from a pure output perspective, which is what matters most for a striker, it’s a clear win for the Serbian international, as, since the start of last season, he has scored 27 goals and provided four assists in just 54 appearances, which equates to a goal involvement on average every 1.74 games.
In contrast, the Gunners’ number 29 has scored 23 goals and provided eight assists in 71 games, leaving him with a still decent but notably less impressive tally average of a goal involvement every 2.29 games.
Ultimately, while Havertz has been a useful player since making the move to North London, it’s clear that he’s not as natural of a goalscorer as Vlahović, and therefore, Arteta and Co should do what they can to bring the Juve ace to N5 before someone else beats them to it.
Arsenal targeting "world-class" £62m poacher who'd supercharge Odegaard
The exceptional forward would be a game-changing signing for Arsenal.
2 ByJack Salveson HolmesDec 6, 2024
