Arsenal are in the enviable position that, due to their impressive performance last season, there aren’t many areas of the team that need an upgrade this summer.
So, it’s unsurprising that, over the last couple of weeks, the Gunners have been linked to several top-class strikers, although in the last couple of days, links to Bournemouth’s Dominic Solanke have become particularly intense.
That said, while the Englishman is a talented centre-forward, another name has been heavily touted for a move to the Emirates, who would be a much better option.
Arsenal’s striker search
According to a recent report from the Italian publication Corriere dello Sport, Arsenal have maintained their interest in Sporting CP star Viktor Gyokeres.
In fact, the report claims that the Gunners are ‘very active’ regarding the Swedish goalscorer, although it does not expand on what that means or how much he might cost the North Londoners.
However, a number of potential price tags have been bounded about in recent weeks, from £67m all the way up to £84m, depending on the publication.
Arsenal will ultimately have to pay a sizeable fee to secure Gyokeres’ services, but given his incredible form last season, he’s worth it and a considerably more exciting signing than Solanke.
How Gyokeres compares to Solanke
So, if we are going to compare these two quality strikers, let’s start with the most important metric of all: raw output.
In his 42 appearances for Bournemouth last season, Solanke scored 21 goals and provided four assists, meaning he produced a goal involvement on average every 1.68 games, and while that’s undeniably impressive, it pales in comparison to his competition.
For example, in his 50 appearances for Sporting last season, Gyokeres scored a whopping 43 goals and provided 15 assists for good measure, which equates to a staggering average of a goal involvement every 0.86 games, or 1.16 per game.
The one-sided nature of this comparison continues into the pair’s underlying numbers as well, with the Swedish “powerhouse”, as dubbed by data analyst Ben Mattinson, coming out on top in the majority of relevant metrics.
For example, while he comes out second best for progressive passes and aerial duels won, he’s miles ahead for non-penalty expected goals plus assists, actual non-penalty goals plus assists, progressive carries, shots and shots on target, goal and shot-creating actions and successful take-ons, all per 90.
Ultimately, there isn’t an area in which Solanke emerges victorious against Gyokeres, be that in terms of their output or underlying numbers, and that’s why the Swedish goal machine would be the better signing for the Gunners this summer.
Therefore, Edu Gaspar and Co must do what they can to secure his services in the coming weeks, even if that means breaking the bank. He could be the player who helps bring the Premier League back to North London next season.
