Outscored Havertz: Arsenal can sign a “goal machine” for £30 million that is comparable to Watkins
The biggest game of Euro 2024 is the last one to be played. Will England be able to move on from years of suffering and surpass their performance in 2021? Or would Spain win a fourth European championship in a competition when they were considered underdogs going in?
But the cards might fall on Sunday night; if it weren’t for Ollie Watkins’ dramatic late-game victory on Wednesday, the Three Lions might not have advanced this far.
While Arsenal’s attackers came agonizingly close to earning a title of their own last season, the gifted striker had a clinical edge that they could have utilized.
Though Mikel Arteta won’t be able to use the Aston Villa star next season, he could be able to use someone similar to him because the most recent striker said to be heading to N5 has been likened to the Englishman—oh, and he outscored Kai Havertz last year.
Arsenal’s pursuit of a striker
Arsenal is still looking to add a striker this summer, and Brian Brobbey of Ajax is one of their top choices, according to a report from Caught Offside earlier this week.
Though a different article from the Sun earlier this week said that he will be available for roughly £30m and that they are ‘confident’ of signing him, the report makes no mention of a potential price.
Regretfully, this report also stated that Manchester United, a Premier League opponent, is considering the talented Dutchman.
Arsenal should be eager to bring Brobbey to North London considering his form from the previous season, the fact he outscored Havertz, and the similarities to Watkins. However, this interest from the Red Devils could make things a little more difficult in the signing process.
How Watkins and Brobbey are comparable
Now, let’s look at this comparison to the Villa ace and its origins before comparing Brobbey’s goalscoring record to Havertz’s.
Its main source is FBref, which compiled a list of the ten most comparable players for each position by comparing players in the Europa Conference League competition from the previous season. Watkins was listed as the striker who most resembled the Dutchman.
When you look at the precise underlying metrics—such as projected goals, progressive passes, crucial passes, live passes, carries, and aerial duels won—that the two teams rank extremely highly in, it becomes much simpler to notice the true parallels.
But more than just his resemblance to the England star, the 22-year-old’s production would make him a fantastic addition.
Last season, the Dutch “goal machine,” as talent scout Jacek Kulig put it, made just forty-three appearances.
In contrast, Havertz, who, by the end of last season, was the Gunners’ recognised number nine, scored 14 goals and provided seven assists in 51 appearances, equating to a still good but less impressive average of a goal involvement every 2.42 games.
Ultimately, Brobbey looks like he’d be an excellent signing for £30m based on his attacking output alone, but with the comparisons to England’s latest hero on top of that, he feels like a player Arsenal cannot afford to miss out on.]
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