Arsenal’s summer transfer window could be an incredibly busy affair with the Gunners aiming to bolster their chances of reaching the top four in 2022/23.
What’s the word?
One area where Mikel Arteta’s men will need severely strengthening is in attack where both Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubamayang have departed in the last six months.
Fortunately, it looks as though Edu and the club’s recruitment team have spotted a solution.
According to Gazzetta Dello Sport (via Sport Witness), they are interested in a deal for Sassuolo striker Gianluca Scamacca.
The Italian has already attracted a bid of €32m (£27.2m) plus bonuses reaching around €40m (£34m) but that has been rejected by the Serie A side.
As a result, if Arsenal want a successful end to talks, it’s thought they will have to pay closer to €50m (£42.5m).
Giroud 2.0
The north London club look extremely short from an attacking perspective as the new season commences.
Eddie Nketiah remains the sole striker in their ranks and even his future is still uncertain. That said, it does look as though he’s set to sign a new £100k-per-week contract with them.
Even if that happens, Arsenal will need to sign another forward if they are to have any chance of leapfrogging their rivals in the Premier League next season.
A deal for Scamacca represents a risk considering his tally of 16 goals last term. That is a solid return but for a player who could cost over £40m, you’d want a bit more for your money.
That said, this is a player who has the all-round game to trouble many a defence with scout Jacek Kulig once describing him as an “outrageous talent.”
The 23-year-old has progressed nicely in recent years, developing from a potent threat in Serie B to now one of the most sought-after forwards in the top-flight of Italian football.
That journey rather mirrors that of former Arsenal star, Olivier Giroud, who also plied his trade in the second tier, albeit in France, before becoming a genuine star in the top division.
Arsene Wenger would later go on to sign the Frenchman and if we dive into FB Ref’s similar players model, Giroud is directly compared to Scamacca when assessing his statistics in Serie A.
Known for his heading and work off the ball, it’s easy to see why he’s cut from a similar cloth as the World Cup winner.
Although Scamacca is vastly better when beating an opponent and carrying the ball forward, there are plenty of parallels between the two strikers.
For starters, they both win a similar percentage of aerial battles with the Italy international reigning supreme in 55.7% per 90 to the AC Milan forward’s 58.7%. With that in mind, they are also fouled at a similar rate when contesting duels with Giroud drawing a foul 1.19 times per 90 minutes compared to Scamacca’s 1.05 fouls drawn.
As for recoveries of a loose ball, there is not much to choose between the two with Arsenal’s current transfer target registering 3.94 per 90 in comparison to their former attacker’s 3.24.
Their attacking numbers also draw parallels with Scamacca’s xG per 90 of 0.45 very close to Giroud’s 0.49 xG. Furthermore, their shot-creating actions are impressive as the Sassuolo star registers 2.22 every 90 minutes while his fellow attacker amasses 2.38.
With that in mind, it’s easy to see why the offensive duo are so similar. The idea of another Giroud penning terms at Colney might not get pulses racing but it would surely be an exciting signing nonetheless.
AND in other news, Left for £0, now worth £49.5m: Wenger had huge Arsenal howler on 29 y/o “maverick”…