Although the transfer window doesn’t officially open until Friday, Arsenal have already suffered a significant setback in their search for a new striker.
The Premier League runners-up were heavily linked to RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Šeško over the last few weeks, but the player decided against leaving the German side this week.
However, while this is far from ideal, Mikel Arteta and Edu Gaspar, as always, appear to have a perfect alternative lined up: a striker who may well be better than the Slovenian and who shares some similarities with former forward Robin van Persie.
Arsenal’s striker search
According to The Standard’s Simon Collings, alongside Šeško, Arsenal are interested in and have been scouting Feyenoord’s star striker, Santiago Gimenez, this season.
The report claims that the Mexican international fits the mould of a young forward with plenty of scope to improve, which the Gunners are keen to bring to the club.
Collings does not mention a potential price, but a report from 90min in April revealed that the Dutch side wouldn’t entertain selling the 22-year-old for below the Eredivisie transfer record, which currently stands at €100m, which would convert to £84m.
It would be an incredibly expensive deal to get over the line, but based on his performances this season and the similarities between him and Van Persie, it is likely one worth pursuing.
How Gimenez compares to Van Persie and Šeško
Now comparing Gimenez to Van Persie is undoubtedly a big shout as, regardless of how Arsenal fans feel about him today, when he was at his best for them, he was near enough unstoppable, but there are a few key similarities between the pair.
|
Gimenez vs Van Persie’s initial stint in the Netherlands |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Player |
||
|
Appearances |
86 |
76 |
|
Goals |
49 |
21 |
|
Assists |
11 |
10 |
|
Goal Involvements per Match |
0.69 |
0.40 |
|
All Stats via Transfermarkt |
||
First, both strikers cut their teeth in European football at Feyenoord, although the Mexican’s haul of 60 goals and assists in 86 games is significantly more impressive than the Dutchman’s return of 31 in 76 games during his first stint with the club.
Second, the pair are both predominantly left-footed, with the former Arsenal man actually the player with the third most left-footed goals in Premier League history, while the former Cruz Azul star has used his left to score 22 of his 38 league goals since the start of last season.
Lastly, if this deal goes through, both strikers would make their way into a top-five European league through the Gunners, although the fans and Arteta will be hoping they can prevent what came after last time.
With that said, as this signing would be completed off the news that Šeško is off the table, how does the Buenos Aires-born poacher compare to him?
Well, fans will be happy to hear that, from a pure output perspective, it’s an easy win for the “flawless” talent as dubbed by scout Antonio Mango, as he scored 26 goals and provided eight assists in 41 games this season, meaning he averaged a goal involvement every 1.2 games.
In comparison, the Leipzig ace scored 18 goals and provided two assists in 42 games, meaning he averaged a goal involvement every 2.1 games.
|
Gimenez vs Šeško |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Player |
||
|
Appearances |
41 |
42 |
|
Goals |
26 |
18 |
|
Assists |
8 |
2 |
|
Goal Involvements per Match |
0.82 |
0.47 |
|
All Stats via Transfermarkt |
||
Ultimately, while missing Šeško is far from ideal, the fact that Gimenez has outperformed him this season and shares some similarities with Van Persie should leave fans feeling encouraged that Arteta and Edu can still bring in an effective striker this summer.
After all, the Gunners have a good track record when they miss out on their initial transfer target – just ask Chelsea how Mykhailo Mudryk is doing.
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