Manchester City might have closed the gap on Sunday, but this season feels different for Arsenal.
Mikel Arteta’s side have been almost faultless over the last couple of months, so much so that a point away to the high-flying Sunderland feels like a defeat.
Moreover, while the Gunners finally conceded against the Black Cats, they remain unbeaten in 14 games across all competitions and are still top of the Premier League.
One of the reasons why Arsenal have been so successful is how quickly their summer signings have adapted. However, there are now reports that they could be interested in someone who could be an upgrade on Martin Zubimendi.
Arsenal target world-class midfielder
Since arriving in North London for around £58m, Zubimendi has been an ever-present figure in Arsenal’s midfield.
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The Spaniard has already made 14 competitive appearances for the side, in which he has scored two goals and provided one assist.
However, his place in the side might not be as secure as it seems, with the Gunners now interested in another world-class midfielder.
At least that is according to a report from Caught Offside, which claims that Arsenal are interested in Paris Saint-Germain’s Vitinha.
The report has revealed that, alongside Liverpool, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Juventus, the Gunners are monitoring the midfielder’s situation.
However, in addition to convincing him to leave the reigning European Champions, the North Londoners would have to stump up an enormous fee of around €130m, equivalent to approximately £114m.
With that said, if this is a deal that can be done, it’s one Arsenal should pursue, even if that’s bad news for Zubimendi.
How Vitinha compares to Zubimendi
The first thing to note is that Zubimendi is doing a brilliant job for Arsenal so far this season and could be a key reason why they finally win the Premier League.
However, just because a player is performing well for a side, it does not mean they cannot be upgraded upon, so would Vitinha be that upgrade?
Well, both midfielders are capable of playing in central and defensive areas, so neither one takes the lead when it comes to versatility.
However, when it comes to their output, it’s a different story entirely.
For example, while the Gunners’ ace has two goals and one assist to his name this year, the PSG star already has a staggering tally of two goals and eight assists in just 16 appearances, totalling 1237 minutes.
In other words, he’s averaging a goal involvement every 1.6 games, or every 123.7 minutes, which goes some way to justifying respected analyst Ben Mattinson’s claim that he’s “the Xavi of this generation.”
Unfortunately for the former Real Sociedad star, he also comes out second best when it comes to major honours, as while he has a Copa del Rey and Euros to his name, the Portuguese star has won the Champions League, the Nations League, three Ligue 1 titles, two Portuguese League titles and a plethora of French Cups.
Non-Penalty Expected G+As
0.24
0.13
Progressive Passes
14.7
6.25
Progressive Carries
4.02
1.06
Shots
2.29
0.86
Shots on Target
0.80
0.29
Passing Accuracy
93.6%
88.7%
Key Passes
1.84
0.87
Passes into the Penalty Area
1.84
0.87
Shot-Creating Actions
4.92
2.21
Goal-Creating Actions
0.91
0.29
Tackles Won
0.92
1.06
Shots Blocked
0.23
0.10
Clearances
0.80
1.83
Carries
103.8
42.9
Finally, it is once again the former Porto star who comes out on top when comparing their underlying numbers.
For example, “the best midfielder in the world,” as dubbed by Portugal manager Roberto Martinez, comes out way ahead in crucial metrics such as progressive passes and carries, key passes, shot and goal-creating actions and shots blocked, all per 90.
In fact, the only metrics in which the Spaniard does better are some of the defensive ones, and even then, it’s not by a significant amount.
Ultimately, Zubimendi has been unreal for Arsenal so far this year, but if Vitinha is attainable, the club should do everything possible to bring him in.
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