Forget Merino: Arsenal in talks to sign a "monster" with shades of Vieira

It’s been an awfully quiet transfer window from Arsenal so far this summer, but with just over a month remaining, it could be about to change.

For example, Ajax’s highly rated young goalkeeper Tommy Setford joined over the weekend, Riccardo Calafiori’s move from Bologna looks to be edging ever closer, and a move for Real Sociedad’s Mikel Merino is still a distinct possibility.

However, based on recent reports, Edu Gaspar and Co might have found the perfect alternative to the Spaniard in a player who has shades of former Gunners great Patrick Vieira about him.

Arsenal transfer news

According to a recent report from Caught Offside, Arsenal are one of several sides keen on landing French international Adrien Rabiot this summer.

Alongside the Gunners, the report revealed that the player’s representatives are in talks with Tottenham Hotspur, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Liverpool, and Manchester United, with the latter currently leading the way.

The good news for the North Londoners is that with the 29-year-old’s Juventus contract expiring last month, they won’t need to pay a transfer fee to secure his services. The bad news is that he’s after an annual wage between €10m and €15m, which converts to between £8m and £13m.

It could be challenging to get ahead of United, but given Rabiot’s ability and experience, Arsenal should do what they can to bring him to N5 this summer, as he could be the perfect alternative to Merino, and his similarities to Vieira are certainly a nice bonus.

How Rabiot compares to Merino and Vieira

Now, before we compare Rabiot to Merino, let’s examine how he mirrors former Arsenal great Vieira, who left the club with three league titles, four FA Cups, and 405 appearances to his name.

So, the first and most obvious similarity is that, like the former Gunners star, the 29-year-old is a prominent French international who operates best at the heart of midfield, where he can demonstrate his incredible ability on and off the ball.

For example, according to FBref, which compares players in similar positions across Europe’s top five leagues, the Saint-Maurice-born star sits in the top 11% of midfielders for aerial duels won and the top 14% for progressive carries per 90.

This demonstrates that, like the World Cup winner, the “monster” midfielder, as football writer Robin Bairner dubbed him, uses his impressive physicality to win the ball off opponents before driving through the middle of the park to help at the sharp end of the pitch.

Speaking of their physicality, while the former Paris Saint-Germain ace isn’t quite as tall as the 6 foot 4 retired superstar, he’s still an imposing midfielder thanks to his 6 foot 2 frame, which would undoubtedly come in handy in the Premier League.

So, with his similarities to the Invincibles legend clear to see, how does the “extraordinary” dynamo, as described by French icon David Trezeguet, compare to Merino?

Well, when we look at their underlying numbers, it becomes clear that both midfielders are fantastic players and would bring a great deal to Mikel Arteta’s side, but unsurprisingly, the Frenchman just edges things.

For example, he comes out ahead in more relevant metrics, including non-penalty expected goals plus assists, progressive carries, shots and shots on target, carries into the penalty area, key passes and passing accuracy, interceptions and successful take-ons, all per 90.

Moreover, he is dispossessed less often, makes fewer errors leading to a shot, and miscontrols the ball less, all per 90.

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The immense talent could become a legend at the club.

Ultimately, even with a higher-than-average salary, signing Rabiot seems like a great idea, as he offers more than Merino, and the comparisons to Vieira also work in his favour.