£111m Odegaard upgrade: Arsenal want to sign "best midfielder in the world"
da dobrowin： Following their heroics against Real Madrid, there is now a real chance Arsenal’s season could end in Champions League glory.
da cassino online： However, while that would be all fans will remember this campaign for years down the line, it would still be fair to describe their domestic season as a disaster.
While a significant reason for that has been the near-constant stream of injuries Mikel Arteta and Co have had to deal with, it’s also been down to several star players not performing at their best, with club captain Martin Odegaard perhaps the worst offender in this regard.
Since returning from his ankle injury in November, the Norwegian hasn’t been able to hit the heights of the last two years, and that may cost him next season, as recent reports have linked Arsenal to someone who could be a significant upgrade this summer.
Arsenal transfer news
On top of a new midfielder, Arsenal have also been linked with a plethora of wide talent in recent weeks, with perhaps the most consistent being Nico Williams.
The Athletic Bilbao star was touted for a move to the North Londoners last summer as well, but it seems like he could really be available for around £50m this year, and given his tally of 11 goals and seven assists in 42 games this season, that may be a fee well worth paying.
Likewise, the Gunners have long been linked with Raphinha, even before his move to Barcelona, and those rumours have once again reemerged this year, with reports suggesting he could be available for around £80m.
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While that’s an awful lot of money, it doesn’t seem too unreasonable considering he’s amassed a sensational tally of 30 goals and 23 assists in just 48 appearances this term, although if the North Londoners are going to sign Florian Wirtz, they might not be able to afford the Brazilian winger.
Yes, according to a recent report from Caught Offside, Arsenal are one of several top sides keen to sign the Bayer Leverkusen gem this summer.
Alongside the Gunners, the report claims that Liverpool, Manchester City, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich are all interested in the German international, who could cost up to €130m, which is about £111m.
It would be an incredibly costly and complicated transfer to get over the line, but given Wirtz’s immense quality and potential, one well worth fighting for, even if his arrival would be bad news for Odegaard.
How Wirtz compares to Odegaard
So, if Arsenal were to get ahead of the chasing pack and splash the cash on Wirtz this summer, they’d likely do so with the intention of having him start most games as an attacking midfielder, which would put him in direct competition with Odegaard.
With that said, who comes out on top when we compare them both? Well, from a pure output perspective, it’s an overwhelming victory for the Leverkusen star.
For example, in just 41 appearances this season, totalling 3040 minutes, he’s scored 15 goals and provided 13 assists, which comes out to a brilliant average of a goal involvement every 1.46 games or every 108.57 minutes.
In comparison, the former Real Madrid gem has only been able to amass a tally of five goals and nine assists in 38 appearances, totalling 2896 minutes, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 2.71 games of every 206.85 minutes.
What about their underlying numbers, then? Who comes out on top when we take a look under the hood?
Wirtz vs Odegaard
Statistics per 90
Wirtz
Odegaard
Non-Penalty Expected G+As
0.51
0.37
Non-Penalty G+As
0.77
0.28
Progressive Carries
4.91
3.59
Progressive Passes
6.80
10.4
Shots
2.79
1.80
Shots on Target
1.26
0.60
Shot-Creating Actions
5.76
5.02
Goal-Creating Actions
0.85
0.55
Ball Recoveries
4.41
3.73
All Stats via FBref for the 24/25 League Season
Unfortunately for the Gunners’ captain, he once again comes out on the losing side of this comparison, as the Pulheim-born gem, whom former Leverkusen striker Patrick Helmes has described as “the best midfielder in the world,” does better in most relevant metrics.
For example, he does far better in metrics like expected and actual non-penalty goals plus assists, progressive carries, shots and shots on target, shot and goal-creating actions and more, all per 90.
Ultimately, while it would require a club-record bid, Arsenal should be doing all they can to bring Wirtz to the Emirates this summer, even if it sees Odegaard relegated to a squad role.
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