Arsenal have a huge few weeks ahead of them, both on and off the pitch. The Gunners are still making a charge for the top four in the Premier League, with Champions League qualification opening a host of opportunities under Mikel Arteta.
Away from the action, the transfer window is just on the horizon, offering every club the chance to strengthen ahead of the next campaign. For the Spaniard, one of the priorities looks set to be up front, with Alexandre Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah set to leave the club.
Ahead of the window, Arteta has claimed that his number one priority is will be a goal scorer: “He puts the ball in the net – that’s priority number one. Goal threat. Any successful team needs enough goal threat in the squad. Without it, you have nothing.
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“You can play good football, but you need enough goal threat in the team. The other thing is that he has to complement the other people we have, personally and on the pitch. We need the right profile.”
Manchester City duo Gabriel Jesus and Raheem Sterling have been heavily linked with a move to North London as potential options for the club next season. With that said, here’s a look at how they compare to other top forwards in the league.
The main comparison points will be Mohamed Salah, Harry Kane and Son Heung-Min, as all three have ranked highest in multiple statistics as a forward for this season on a consistent basis. First, looking at stats from FBRef, it's worth discussing expected goals and assists, showing an underlying look at how well a player is doing.
Salah leads the way for xG, expected goals, with 0.69 per 90 minutes, with Sterling a close second with 0.62. Kane then ranks third with 0.54, while Jesus just edges Son with 0.48 to 0.45.
It shows the players that are getting into the best shooting positions too, suggesting that Sterling may be a better option for a finisher in the box than Jesus. Then it’s worth looking at xA, expected assists, as some strikers are more inclined to be creators rather than finishers similar to the role played by Lacazette for Arsenal this season.
This is where the Brazilian may come into his own, ranking second behind Salah with 0.28 per 90 minutes to the Egyptian’s 0.34. Sterling ranks the lowest of the lot, with 0.18, while his compatriot Kane has 0.24 to Son’s 0.25.
It suggests that, perhaps, the two City players could operate in a pairing up front, with Jesus taking the mantle of Lacazette and Sterling offering the poachers touch in the box. Whether they both make the move to the Emirates remains to be seen, however they could both offer a valuable piece needed in the Arsenal puzzle.
