If you had asked an Arsenal fan what the team needed to improve a year ago, they probably would have said a new striker.
If you were to ask that same question to a fan today, they would almost certainly say the same thing.
Mikel Arteta has helped transform Arsenal into one of the best teams in England over the last few years, but since Pierre Emerick Aubameyang left the club in 2022, he hasn’t been able to sign a prolific number nine.
However, that could be about to change as recent reports have linked the club with someone who could be the perfect upgrade on Kai Havertz.
Arsenal transfer news
According to a recent report from Caught Offside, Arsenal are one of several sides interested in signing Brighton & Hove Albion forward Joao Pedro.
Alongside the Gunners, the report claims that Liverpool and Manchester City are keen to sign the Brazilian, while Chelsea have also shown interest.
Interestingly, while the Seagulls have set an asking price of €70m – £58m – for the striker, the report has revealed that the North Londoners are ‘planning to make an offer of around €55-65 million’, which converts to between £46m and £54m.
It will be a costly and complicated transfer to get over the line, but given Pedro’s ability, it is one worth pursuing, especially as he could be an upgrade on Havertz.
How Pedro compares to Havertz
So, should Arsenal be successful in their pursuit of Pedro and get him for around the £54m mark, it seems incredibly unlikely that he’d come in to sit on the bench.
Therefore, the Brighton ace would be in direct competition with Havertz for a place in the starting lineup, but which one comes out ahead?
Well, regarding their raw output this season, it’s a little complicated, as the German has scored ten goals and provided two assists compared to the Brazilian’s four goals and three assists.
However, the “fantastic” Seagulls ace, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has produced his haul in just ten appearances, equating to a goal involvement every 1.42 games.
In comparison, the former Chelsea man has produced his goal involvements in 23 appearances, resulting in a significantly less impressive average of one every 1.91 games.
What about their underlying numbers then? Who comes out on top when we look under the hood?
Surprisingly, it’s the “insane” former Watford star, as dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson, who comes out ahead, and by a country mile at that.
|
Pedro vs Havertz |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Statistics per 90 |
Pedro |
Havertz |
|
Non-Penalty Expected G+As |
0.54 |
0.54 |
|
Actual Non-Penalty G+As |
0.93 |
0.47 |
|
Progressive Passes |
3.73 |
2.97 |
|
Progressive Carries |
3.60 |
1.55 |
|
Shots |
2.39 |
2.36 |
|
Shots on Target |
0.93 |
0.88 |
|
Goals per Shot |
0.22 |
0.14 |
|
Goals per Shot on Target |
0.57 |
0.38 |
|
Key Passes |
1.47 |
0.81 |
|
Passes into the Penalty Area |
1.73 |
0.47 |
|
Shot-Creating Actions |
2.78 |
2.36 |
|
Goal-Creating Actions |
0.53 |
0.14 |
|
Successful Take-Ons |
1.73 |
0.41 |
|
All Stats via FBref for the 24/25 PL Season |
||
For example, the 23-year-old emerges victorious in every relevant metric, including but not limited to non-penalty expected and actual goals plus assists, progressive passes and carries, shot and shots on target, goals per shot and shot on target and shot and goal-creating actions, all per 90.
Ultimately, while Havertz is a great player and has been a useful signing for Arsenal, Pedro’s statistics are far, far more impressive, and in a weaker side, so Arteta and Co should do what they can to sign the Brazilian striker as soon as possible.
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