The transfer window is in full swing, and Arsenal look set for a big summer in which they could finally bridge the ever-closing gap between themselves and Manchester City in the Premier League.
Mikel Arteta’s side did incredibly well pushing the Sky Blues to the final day of the campaign last season, but they came up just short on the goalscoring front.
So, it’s unsurprising to see them linked with a number of top-tier strikers at the moment, including Napoli’s marksman extraordinaire, Victor Osimhen.
However, the latest forward touted for a move to the Emirates may well be a better option, and he certainly had a better season than the Nigerian.
Arsenal’s striker search
According to recent reports from Italy, Arsenal have made an enquiry about Girona star Artem Dovbyk.
The report does not mention how much the Ukrainian striker may cost the Gunners, but a claim from Spain (via Sport Witness) earlier this week claimed that his contract has a release clause worth between €40m and €50m, or £34m to £42m in it.
It might not be a cheap signing, but considering Osimhen could cost up to £113m and Dovbyk’s campaign last season, it could still be a bargain.
How Dovbyk compares to Osimhen
So, if the two options available to the Gunners at the moment are the Napoli and Girona stars, how do the pair stack up to one another? Well, from a pure output perspective, it’s the latter who surprisingly comes out on top over the last year.
In his 41 games for Girona the “dominant” number nine, as dubbed by data analyst Ben Mattinson, scored 25 goals and provided ten assists, meaning he’s averaged a goal involvement every 1.17 games in La Liga – which also saw him win the Golden Boot.
|
Dovbyk vs Osimhen |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Player |
||
|
Appearances |
41 |
32 |
|
Goals |
25 |
17 |
|
Assists |
10 |
4 |
|
Goal Involvements per Match |
0.85 |
0.65 |
|
All Stats via Transfermarkt |
||
In contrast, the former LOSC Lillie gem scored 17 goals and provided four assists in 32 games last season, which equates to a goal involvement on average every 1.52 games.
Okay, so with it clear that the former SC Dnipro-1 ace is the more clinical forward of the pair at the moment, how do their striker-relevant underlying numbers compare?
|
Dovbyk vs Osimhen |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Stats per 90 |
Dovbyk |
Osimhen |
|
Non-Penalty Expected Goals + Assists |
0.84 |
0.65 |
|
Non-Penalty Goals |
0.57 |
0.51 |
|
Assists |
0.34 |
0.11 |
|
Shots |
2.70 |
3.68 |
|
Goals per Shot |
0.21 |
0.14 |
|
Shots on Target |
1.22 |
1.53 |
|
Goals per Shot on Target |
0.47 |
0.33 |
|
Passing Accuracy |
70.7% |
67.8% |
|
Goal-Creating Actions |
0.45 |
0.33 |
|
All Stats vis FBref for the 23/24 League Season |
||
Well, it’s another clear win for the 26-year-old, as he comes out ahead in almost all metrics, such as non-penalty expected goals and assists, actual assists and non-penalty goals, passing accuracy, goal-creating actions and the number of goals scored per shot and shot on target, all per 90.
Moreover, besides having more impressive underlying numbers and goal involvements last season, the Cherkasy-born striker has a far better injury record.
Since the start of the 2020/21 season, he has missed just 11 games, whereas his potential competition has missed a massive 62 matches in the same period, and as they say, availability is the best ability.
Ultimately, while Osimhen is undoubtedly an incredibly talented number nine and would likely do an excellent job for Arsenal, his price and injury record are serious concerns, especially when Dobvyk enjoyed a better campaign last season and has no such injury concerns.
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The “outrageous” striker could fire the Gunners to the title next season.
Therefore, Edu Gaspar and Co should do all they can to bring the Girona star to North London this summer.
