Arsenal have come on leaps and bounds in the almost five-year reign of Mikel Arteta.
The North Londoners have transformed from midtable fodder into one of the most formidable teams in the world, let alone England.
It's not just down to the Spaniard's influence and tactics, however, as he has also welcomed in a swathe of incredibly talented players such as Martin Odegaard, Declan Rice and even the previously much-maligned Kai Havertz.
The German has become a core component of the Gunners' first team, but at the moment, he is being outscored by a player the club were intently interested in over the summer.
It's no secret that Havertz struggled to make an impact at Arsenal for much of last season, as while he was playing games and proving to be reasonably useful here and there, he wasn't stamping his authority on the team from his left-eight position.
However, in early February, Arteta decided to move the German international from midfield to the centre-forward position, and to say he has been effective in his new role would be a colossal understatement.
For example, in the 32 games he played as a recognised midfielder, the former Chelsea ace racked up a lacklustre haul of six goals and no assists, but in the 18 games he played as a striker, the 25-year-old scored eight goals and provided seven assists, equating to a practically world-class average of a goal involvement once every 1.20 games.
Havertz's 23/24 |
||
---|---|---|
Position |
Midfield |
Centre-forward |
Appearances |
32 |
18 |
Goals |
6 |
8 |
Assists |
0 |
7 |
Goal Involvements per Match |
0.18 |
0.83 |
It wasn't a flukey run of good form either, as the Aachen-born poacher has remained a real goal threat this season, scoring five goals and providing one assist in nine appearances, or just 748 minutes, which equates to a goal involvement once every 124 minutes.
Considering the teams the Gunners have played and the fact they have been down a man twice, that is a superb rate of return.
With all that said, the club were interested in signing another up-and-coming striker in the summer and, considering he is actually outscoring Havertz at the moment, Arteta and Co may go back in for him next year.
Yes, the in-form striker in question is RB Leipzig star Benjamin Sesko, who Arsenal were incredibly interested in during the summer.
For example, according to this report from the Guardian in June, the Gunners and cross-city rivals Chelsea were prepared to trigger the Slovenian's €65m - £55m - release clause, only for him to go and agree to a new deal with the German club to further his development out of the spotlight that the Premier League brings.
Unfortunately for the North Londoners, this new deal means that the 21-year-old poacher will be far more expensive to sign next year, with La Gazzetta dello Sport journalist Marco Guidi suggesting that depending on his performances this season, the price in the summer "will not go below 70-80 million," which is between £59m and £67m, and considering his recent form, we'd hazard a guess at it being nearer the latter.
For example, in his eight appearances for Leipzig this season, the 6 foot 5 "monster", as dubbed by data analyst Ben Mattinson, has scored six goals and provided three assists, meaning he is currently averaging a goal involvement once every 0.88 games.
Now, that is better than the Gunners' number 29, but we also have to take into account the reduced pressure of playing for the East German outfit and the general level of the league itself. Even so, the Slovenian marksman looks like he is well on his way to becoming a superstar striker.
Sesko vs Havertz in 24/25 |
||
---|---|---|
Player |
||
Appearances |
8 |
9 |
Goals |
6 |
5 |
Assists |
3 |
1 |
Goal Involvements per Match |
1.12 |
0.66 |
All Stats via Transfermarkt |
Ultimately, Arsenal are lucky to have a player as talented as Havertz in their team at the moment, but given the form of Sesko, it might still be worth chasing him again in the summer, as having both in the squad would make the Gunners one of the most dangerous teams in Europe.