So, one of the main reasons that Calafiori would be a brilliant defender for Arsenal to sign is that he plays on the front foot and could play an essential role in helping the Gunners control games and pile pressure onto their opponents.
For example, FBref, which compares players in similar positions in Europe's top five leagues, places the 22-year-old in the top 1% of centre-backs for assists, the top 3% for shot-creating actions, the top 4% for interceptions and the top 8% for successful take-ons, all per 90.
Calafiori-Italy-Euro-2024 (2)
However, if Arteta is able to get his man, he'd likely only join to play regularly, which in turn would likely see him rival Gabriel for a starting role in the team, as the fact Saliba started 100% of league games last season suggests that the Spaniard has no intention of dropping him.
In this case, it's important to see how the Italian and Brazilian defenders compare, and the best way to do that is to look at their underlying numbers.
Calafiori vs Gabriel
Stats per 90
Calafiori
Gabriel
Non-Penalty Expected Goals + Assists
0.10
0.15
Non-Penalty Goals
0.07
0.12
Assists
0.17
0.00
Progressive Passes
3.69
3.46
Progressive Passes Received
0.88
0.24
Progressive Carries
1.08
0.38
Passing Accuracy
89.6%
88.7%
Live Passes
66.2
60.1
Shot-Creating Actions
1.77
0.68
Goal-Creating Actions
0.31
0.09
Tackles
1.81
1.42
Tackles Won
1.28
0.83
Blocks
1.46
1.30
Interceptions
1.94
0.92
Clearances
2.85
2.96
Successful Take-Ons
0.50
0.06
Ball Recoveries
7.46
4.02
Aerial Duels Won
2.31
2.28
All Stats via FBref for the 23/24 League Season
Unfortunately for the former LOSC Lille ace, when doing this, it becomes clear that his potential competition looks superior in almost all metrics.
For example, the 6 foot 2 "monster," as dubbed by data analyst Ben Mattinson, comes out ahead for assists,
progressive passes, progressive passes received, progressive carries, passing accuracy and live passes, shot and goal-creating actions, tackles won, blocks and interceptions, ball recoveries, aerial duels won, and successful take-ons, all per 90.
Now, you could argue that Serie A is not as strong a league as the Premier League, but even so, it is hard to ignore the extent to which the "sensational" centre-back, as dubbed by Mattinson, outperforms Gabriel's underlying numbers.
Ultimately, if Arsenal have the chance to secure Calafiori's services for just £40m, then they simply have to take it, as a partnership between him and Saliba could see them produce an even better defensive record next season.
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