The transfer window is in full swing, and like most other sides in the Premier League, Arsenal have been linked with a plethora of exciting stars.
The first significant saga of the window for Mikel Arteta's side was Benjamin Sesko, but following his decision to sign a new deal with RB Leipzig, attention has shifted towards a possible £76m move for Sporting CP's Viktor Gyokeres.
The Swedish international looks like an incredibly talented player, but the fee needed to get him out of Lisbon is undoubtedly steep and, based on recent reports, Edu Gaspar and Co may be about to nab another prolific forward for far less.
Arsenal's striker search
According to a recent report from Sky Sports Germany journalist Florian Plettenberg, Arsenal are one of several teams "still involved" in the battle to land Serhou Guirassy's signature this summer.
According to the German, Borussia Dortmund appear to be at the front of the queue, but the Gunners, Chelsea, and AC Milan are all still fighting to sign the VfB Stuttgart ace.
While the outside interest is less than ideal, the fact that the Guinean international's contract has a release clause worth just £15 million is good news, and according to Plettenberg, the forward's future will be sorted in the coming days.
While it may be a challenge to outmanoeuvre Dortmund, the prospect of acquiring a prolific forward at a bargain price is certainly enticing, especially considering the potential £61m savings compared to signing Gyokeres.
How Guirassy compares to Gyokeres
So, if Arsenal find themselves in the enviable position of having a choice between Guirassy and Gyokeres this summer, which player should they opt to sign?
From a pure output perspective, the choice between the pair is not as straightforward as it may seem. For instance, in his 50 appearances last season, the Sporting star demonstrated his prowess by scoring an impressive 43 goals and providing 15 assists, averaging a goal involvement every 0.86 games – a remarkable feat.
On the other hand, the Stuttgart star's performance was no less commendable. He scored 30 goals and provided three assists in 30 appearances, resulting in a goal involvement every 0.90 games.
So, while the Guinean was slightly less effective, the difference is so marginal that it's difficult to draw definitive conclusions from their output alone.Therefore, it's worth investigating what's going on under the hood and comparing the pair's underlying numbers from last season.
Interestingly, when doing this, it's the "insane" Bundesliga star, as dubbed by U23 scout Antonio Mango, who comes out looking the far more impressive player.
Non-Penalty Expected Goals + Assists
0.99
0.78
Non-Penalty Goals
0.98
0.69
Assists
0.15
0.31
Progressive Passes
2.29
1.68
Progressive Carries
1.31
3.66
Shots
3.76
3.13
Goals per Shot
0.26
0.22
Shots on Target
1.71
1.53
Goal per Shot on Target
0.58
0.45
Passing Accuracy
81.0%
71.7%
Shot-Creating Actions
3.67
4.08
Aerial Duels Won
2.65
1.88
For example, the "outrageous" goal machine, as dubbed by journalist Seb Stafford-Bloor, comes out on top in the majority of relevant metrics, such as non-penalty expected goals and assists, actual non-penalty goals, progressive passes, shots, goals per shot, shots on target, goals per shot on target, passing accuracy, and aerial duels won, all per 90.
Ultimately, Arsenal would likely see their attack improve with either striker in the team next season. Still, when Gyokeres is set to cost £61m more and has just had knee surgery, it does feel like signing Guirassy might be the smarter play here, especially if bringing in the Guinean allows the club to spend big on other targets to really turn the squad into one capable of finally dethroning Manchester City.
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