The window is quickly coming to a close and Arsenal still have work to do. Importantly, and certainly encouragingly, the club know this and both Edu and Mikel Arteta have addressed and commented on the need for more moves still needing to be done.
“We are really active as you can see with incomings and outgoings,” Arteta said ahead of Arsenal’s 2-0 win over Crystal Palace. “Everything is still open, it’s a long window, a lot has happened, it’s incredible how much business the clubs have done across the Premier League and it shows how competitive it is and this season is not going to stop that. Players are going to have the need to leave, some others to move and everything is open still.”
There are two key areas that are widely considered to be needing further reinforcement and strengthening. Central midfield and the wide area.
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Youri Tielemans continues to be of interest to the club, football.london understands. However, it is the wide position that appears more unknown as to who the club want. There have been recent reports of interest in both Cody Gakpo, in addition to the potential exploration of a move for Moussa Diaby, according to Football Insider.
However, according to Spanish outlet AS, Villarreal have received ‘more than an interest’ in a player identified as Yeremy Pino. The 19-year-old winger has shone for Unai Emery’s side and both Arsenal and Liverpool have been credited as having the greatest link to the player.
He has an €80million (£67million) release clause but Villarreal could be tempted to sell for less to help them financially complete other moves in the window such as Spurs midfielder Giovanni Lo Celso. But is he worth the big investment that it would likely take?
Diaby scored 17 goals and got 14 assists for Bayer Leverkusen last season far more than the seven goals and four assists of the 19-year-old. On paper, this looks a no-brainer in a straight comparison between the pair as to who would be the better place to push investment.
However, plenty of Bundesliga players have had questionable transitions to the Premier League. Some, such as Son Heung-min and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, are less so, however.
The point being, there’s no guarantee a player will translate their numbers across. Furthermore, seeing a 23-year-old Diaby getting into the Arsenal eleven is difficult with the form of Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka.
Pino, who turns 20 in October, fits the age profile better for a player in his bracket to rotate and compete with the likes of Saka, Martinelli and others such as Emile Smith-Rowe and Fabio Vieira. He has played on the left and even in the middle on occasion for the Yellow Submarine adding another dimension Diaby did not have last season.
He started at centre-forward in a 2-0 win over Real Betis last season. Stylistically, there are a number of characteristics that perhaps show why he would be favoured over Diaby despite the obvious goal contribution difference for now.
Although that said, Pino’s xG per 90 for last season was 0.33 and he finished the season with 0.32 goals per 90. Compared to Diaby who had an xG per 90 of 0.28 but overperformed and finished with 0.42. An interesting return considering a 10-goal difference between them.
However, it is the defensive application of both where the pair begin the deviate. Pino averaged 1.67 tackles per 90 compared to Diaby’s 0.62. He wins in successful pressures percentage (26.5% > 23.5%), blocks per 90 (2.37 > 0.37), interceptions per 90 (1.02 > 0.68), clearances (0.48 > 0.1) and percentage aerial duels won per 90 (40.8% > 26.3%).
Despite the clear win in defensive effort and involvement, he received fewer yellow cards. Diaby managed a mighty ten compared to Pino’s 2.
Whilst the goals and assists can be challenging to look past, consider the expected goals and the clear defensive output and it is clear to see why Pino can fit into the same category of discussion with the Frenchman. He looks like an Arteta-type player and a move would be far from a surprise.
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