Back in mid-June, for @LeGrove I picked out Bruno Guimaraes, the 23-yo Brazilian currently at Lyon, as a good buy for Arsenal's midfield. Article here: le-grove.co.uk/2021/06/15/dat…
More about why I like him as a potential fit:
Ligue 1 and everything, but Bruno checks all my personal boxes. Here's his radar compared to Granit Xhaka and the two most concrete CM links out there, Bissouma and Neves. Look at all that green! 🤯
Here's how those four compare in some key passing metrics, per 90 mins from last season. Bruno is an active shot creator and goal creator. He passes a lot into the penalty area. His xGChain and xGBuildup speak more to his contribution pre-assist, and in both cases he rates well.
"But can he play defense?" I think he can! He tackles and pressures the ball frequently. Only Xhaka has a lower interceptions/90 from this list, so perhaps there's some reading of the game he could improve upon.
He dribbles pretty well, too, and you can see from his progressive carries and carries into the final third that he's capable of getting the ball into an attacking position all by himself. If he's there for £30M, sign me up!
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Only a handful of games separate Arsenal from the World Cup, and all of us from spending six weeks guessing what kind of reinforcements Arsenal might bring in. Who's looking especially good out there these days? Let's take a look (thread)
Before we get started, my customary disclaimer: This thread has been carefully compiled based only on statistical performance, as tracked by the parties named below. I always recommend a healthy dose of the eye test to balance stats. I'll try to add context I'm aware of.
Now, methodology: This thread explores potential depth/future starters at Arsenal's defensive midfield position, currently occupied by Thomas Partey, and also known as the No. 6 role. THESE PLAYERS ARE NOT ALL 6s RIGHT NOW, but their statistics provide hope they could be.
Pedro Neto could be Arsenal's myster winger! What would the young Portuguese international bring to the carpet? Let's take a look below (1/x)...
Neto came through the Braga system in Portugal. He made his senior debut at just 16, but ended up playing only about an hour of senior football for his first club, which included a goal.
Neto was loaned to Lazio for two seasons (and then purchased by Lazio), but he again figured very little in the senior club, making five appearances totaling 60 minutes.
Arsenal are seemingly interested in Lucas Paqueta, with links popping up from increasingly credible sources each day. So what's this guy's deal, and what would he bring to Arsenal? Let's run down some facts on him (1/x)...
First thing: I'm firmly in the bag for Paqueta and have been for some time. So, you know, keep that in mind. I'll try to be unflinchingly honest, though.
One of the first things you'll hear anyone talk about with Paqueta is his position. Is he a winger? midfielder? 10? false nine? The easiest answer is "yes," as he's played all over the place. Going back to his teenage breakout season in Brazil, though, he was a left CM.
The transfer window is dead! Long live the transfer window! With dreams of Raphinha seemingly gone, whom else could Arsenal target? I analyzed the numbers of 44 big-five-leagues wide players, and I'm gonna shoot 'em at ya rapid-fire.
My disclaimer: This is 100% based on stats. I'm a proponent of the eye test and recommend you watch (full games, not comps) these guys before forming your opinions.
My criteria: High output, great ball control, creativity. Weighted for league and age. Ideal=25 +PL experienced.
Because Raphinha was the target, I tailored my formula to elevate him in the rankings, meaning similar profiles would rise as well. I'm also going with all tier-one career numbers to weed out inconsistent performers.
If Arsenal lose out on Raphinha, which kind of seems like it's happening, it would be tough to replicate the day-one impact. That said, here are some names to consider from my March thread on the position: