Arsenal’s next Giroud? The unlikely €16m solution to Arteta headache

Robin Bairner

• 6 Apr 2023 11:10 BST
• 3 min read

Arsenal are in need of a centre forward, with the Emirates club having been linked to a number of potential options to help support Gabriel Jesus in that capacity.

At one end of the extreme, there is Brazilian wonderkid Vitor Roque, whose performances for Athletico Paranaense have attracted the attention of many of Europe’s biggest clubs. A similar height and built to compatriot Jesus, the teenager would offer a like-for-like replacement.

On the other end of the scale is Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who has been linked with a shock summer move to the Gunners this week from Everton.

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Valued at just €16 million after a couple of seasons of injury problems and with the Goodison club under pressure to sell due to Financial Fair Play (FFP) issues, he could be a bargain. Even if Arsenal were to pay his peak valuation of €40m, that would represent decent business for a player with an impressive pedigree.

Although not a natural fit for Mikel Arteta’s free-flowing brand of football, there is a certain logic to the pursuit of a 26-year-old who has scored four England goals in 11 caps.

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Data analytics experts SciSports explain why he could be a valuable addition to Arsenal’s squad.

The theory revolves around Calvert-Lewin offering Arteta a ‘Plan B’ that he does not currently have. Indeed, he could offer the Emirates club a presence in the fashion of Olivier Giroud – a sorely under-rated player by many.

Why Calvert-Lewin to Arsenal makes sense

Calvert-Lewin can offer Arsenal a more direct outlet than their forward options right now.

Although his alignment with SciSports’ profile of a Target Man does not seem a natural fit for Arteta’s free-flowing football, having a Plan B like him will offer alternative solutions to win games in certain situations and against some opponents.

Although he often plays like a traditional No.9, he has 18 assists for Everton, which shows that he is technical enough to combine with and set up his team-mates, which is something that would be essential at Arsenal.

He has had a couple of injury-disrupted seasons, but if you go back to the 2020/21 season where he started 32 games, he was ranked as the ninth-best performing centre forward according to SciSports’ Performance metrics.

He was outstanding in the air, especially at offensive and defensive set-pieces. He was able to get into great positions in the box and in the final third, and he could then finish off different kinds of chances – close shots, shots from crosses and otherwise.

He also made great contributions defensively. Was good at holding up the ball, and also recovering it by engaging in physical duels.

Giroud was always underrated at Arsenal, but had a very successful spell there, and Calvert-Lewin could end up having a similar impact if his injury troubles are finally behind him.