Arsenal lucky to sign ‘one of the best LWs in Europe’

There is still a long way to go, but this season promises to be truly spectacular for Arsenal.

Thanks to their victories over Bournemouth and Aston Villa and Manchester City’s draws against Sunderland and Chelsea, Mikel Arteta the team is now six points ahead Premier League.

Additionally, with players returning from injury, the Gunners are expected to only improve as the campaign progresses.

As if that wasn’t enough for Arsenal fans, the club could also have the chance to sign a long-term target this summer, someone who would be an improvement on the reports. Léandro Trossard.

Arsenal were lucky to sign Trossard upgrade

Although a few players have been disappointing for Arsenal so far this season, there are others who have seriously impressed.

Players like Declan Rice, William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhães and Bukayo Saka, for example, are playing like maniacs, but perhaps the most improved player of all is Trossard.

The Belgian wasn’t bad last year, but he has played at an incredible level so far this season, consistently scoring goals and assists when the team needs him most.

However, he could still see his playing time somewhat reduced next season as the Gunners could soon have the chance to sign a long-term target who would be an upgrade on the 31-year-old.

At least that’s according to reports out of France, which claim Paris Saint-Germain star Bradley Barcola could be on the move this summer.

Speaking on Here, The Team journalist Loic Tanzi said“I think Barcola will be a real topic next summer, to leave Paris Saint-Germain.”

This could be music to Arsenal’s ears, as the North Londoners did last month were credited with strong interest in the game-changing winger.

This could prove extremely costly to conclude, however, with reports last summer indicating that the Parisian side are valuing their star at around €100 million, or around £86 million.

Even so, if there is a chance that Arsenal could sign Barcola this year, they should take it, as he could be a game changer and a serious upgrade over Trossard.

How Barcola compares to Trossard

Now, one of Barcola’s many strengths is his ability to play on both sides when necessary.

However, like Trossard, his main position is on the left and, given his current form, the Belgian would be his main competition for playing time at Arsenal.

So, which winger comes out on top when comparing them?

Well, when you look at their raw production from the start of last season until today, it’s the Frenchman who comes out on top.

For example, during this period he scored 26 goals and provided 24 assists in 86 appearances, for a total of 5,301 minutes.

This gives an incredible average of goal involvement every 1.72 games, or every 106.02 minutes, lending a lot of credence to analyst Ben Mattinson’s claim that he is “one of the best leftists in Europe“.

In contrast, the former Brighton & Hove Albion star has scored 17 goals and provided 16 assists in 79 appearances, for a total of 4783 minutes.

This gives a less impressive average of goal involvement every 2.39 matches, or every 144.93 minutes.

Okay, what about their underlying numbers? Who stands out best when you take a look under the hood?

Well, unsurprisingly, it is once again the jewel of PSG.

The 23-year-old does better in almost every metric, including things like non-penalty expected goals, assists, key passes, passing accuracy, shooting and goal-creating actions, successful positionals and more, all by 90.

Ultimately, Trossard is a great player and has been nothing short of brilliant so far this season.

However, Barcola would clearly be an upgrade and, therefore, if Arsenal have the chance to sign him this year, they should take it.

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