Arsenal close in on signing “the best CF on the market”, he’s more prolific than Isak - opinion

How quickly things can change in football. A week and a half ago, Arsenal were failing to score for a consecutive Premier League match.

It marked more dropped points for Mikel Arteta’s men who had lost 1-0 to West Ham and then drew 0-0 with Nottingham Forest.

That result against Nuno Santo’s high flyers is no embarrassment. The top four contenders look well placed to secure Champions League football next season now having defeated Manchester City this weekend.

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While Arsenal’s own ambitions have been flattened, they still look in good shape in the Champions League.

This is how swiftly circumstances can change. Just a week after that match against Forest, Arteta’s team travelled to Eindhoven where they dispatched PSV, winning 7-1.

So, is a striker required? Of course.

Arsenal’s attacking data in 2024/25

Speaking of quick turnarounds, the first half of 2024 was incredible for the Gunners who finished just two points behind City in the race for the title.

Between their opening league match of January and their season-ending clash against Everton, Arsenal lost just once to Aston Villa.

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Their most notable run came this time last year, memorably beating West Ham 6-0, Sheffield United 6-0, Burnley 5-0 and Newcastle 4-1 over a remarkable four game period in late February and early March.

A year on, their form couldn’t be more different. They are without Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz for the season and having not signed anyone in January, they are relying on makeshift centre forward Mikel Merino to come up with the goods. To his credit, he does have three goals in four games from that role.

Arsenal's attacking metrics

Stat (* = per 90 mins)

2024/25

2023/24

Goals *

1.9

2.4

Expected goals (xG) *

1.56

2.00

Shots on target *

4.8

6.0

Big chances missed *

3.1

3.0

Goal-creating actions *

3.22

4.00

Key passes *

11

13.5

Stats via FBref and Sofascore.

But, as we can see, compared to last season’s Premier League, Arsenal are not creating as many chances, are having fewer shots on target and their expected goals per 90 is down.

So, what’s the solution?

Arsenal’s hunt for a new striker

All of the talk over recent months has centred on long-term target Alexander Isak but reportedly boasting a £150m asking price, a deal is incredibly unlikely.

Benjamin Sesko is another target but those two formidable forwards aren’t the only ones on Arteta’s radar.

They’re now said to be closing in on the appointment of Andrea Berta as the club’s new sporting director and the first signing of that era may already be close.

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Related

Reports in Nigeria this weekend state that ‘Arsenal have begun the signing process to bring Victor Osimhen to the Emirates.’

The striker is currently on loan at Galatasaray from Napoli having fallen out with top officials in Naples and is likely to seek a permanent new home in the summer.

Arsenal now looked well placed to bring him to English football according to the reports with it suggested that a “£62m fee has been agreed”.

Exciting stuff. So how does he compare with Arsenal’s other big target throughout 2024/25?

How Osimhen compares to Isak this season

It’s safe to say this season that Isak has been the best striker in the Premier League, even ahead of the inevitable Erling Haaland.

In the league alone, the Swede has scored 19 times, enough to place him third in the race for the Golden Boot.

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He’s also dismantled Gabriel and William Saliba too, putting in match-winning performances across the two Carabao Cup semi-final legs.

Yet, Osimhen is actually more prolific than Isak this term when we analyse the data.

Celebrated as the "the best striker on the market" by football statistian Statman Dave, the Nigeria international has bagged 22 goals in 28 games across all competitions.

Galatasaray's Victor Osimhen celebrates after the match-1

For some context, Isak has also found the net on 22 occasions but that’s come in more matches, 31 to be precise.

So, what more can the data tell us?

Osimhen vs Isak: 2024/25 League Stats

Stat (per 90 mins)

Osimhen

Isak

Goals

0.92

0.87

Assists

0.23

0.23

Shots

5.14

3.01

Shots on target

2.08

1.42

Expected goals (xG)

15.13

15.14

Big chances missed

15

10

Big chances created

10

10

Ground duels won

2.2

2.3

Aerial duels won

2.9

0.8

Stats via FBref and Sofascore.

Well, measuring league stats alone, Osimhen is scoring more goals per 90 minutes and impressively, is finding more positions to produce shot-creating actions, registering more efforts on target.

The former may have missed more big chances but their overall game beyond finding the net is pretty similar, something that will no doubt pique the interest of Arteta.

Indeed, Isak only has one more assist (5 vs 4) in the league and they’ve created an equal number of big chances for teammates.

If we’re being honest, the Sweden international would be the most exciting pick when you consider his credentials in English football. However, the fact that Osimhen could cost nearly £100m less means he’d be a thrilling cost-effective alternative.