“If he chose to join Arsenal instead of Chelsea, I’ll resign as a headcoach…I can’t lose a transfer battle with such small club”: Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca angered by £70million player’s decision to join Arsenal over Chelsea this summer

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The mood around Arsenal at the moment could be described as jubilant.

Mikel Arteta’s side have looked impressive out in Singapore and Hong Kong, and on top of that, Andrea Berta has been hard at work securing signings.

As things stand, the most significant is undoubtedly Viktor Gyokeres, who finally completed his £63.5m move from Sporting CP last season, and, with his tally of 54 goals in 52 games last season, could be the missing piece in the Gunners’ attack.

However, with over a month left of the transfer window, there is plenty of time for the club to get some more attacking talent in the side, and while Eberechi Eze has been a name on a lot of fans’ wishlists, the North Londoners might be wise to go for another player entirely.

Arsenal’s pursuit of Eze

Arsenal have been credited with an interest in Eze long before this summer, with several reports doing the rounds around this time last year.

However, it would be fair to say that the club’s interest in the player they released as a youngster has been far more significant this time around, with some reports going as far as to claim that he’s desperate to join his old side.

It’s not hard to see why the Gunners would be so keen to sign the Crystal Palace superstar, as he was nothing short of magnificent for the Eagles last season.

In 43 games, totalling 3303 minutes, the England international scored 14 goals and provided 11 assists, which means he averaged a goal involvement every 1.72 games, or every 132.12 minutes.

Moreover, he spearheaded their FA Cup triumph, scoring in the quarter-final, semi-final and final as he led the South Londoners to their first major trophy ever.

However, while there is plenty to like about the 27-year-old, it is being reported that Palace want whoever signs him to pay his £67.5m release clause and that the first payment has to be a whopping £30m.

So, it might instead be wise for Arsenal to look at another player they’ve been linked with this summer: Xavi Simons.

Arsenal could sign Simons instead
Yes, he might not be as familiar to Premier League fans, but the player Arsenal could turn to in place of Eze this summer is Simons.

Now, the RB Leipzig ace is currently close to joining Chelsea, if reports are to be believed, but hijacking a transfer is nothing new in football, and given where the Gunners are in their project, we see no reason why they couldn’t get their man, especially since they were previously quite heavily linked with him.

Moreover, with reports claiming that the upper valuation of the Dutchman is around £56m, he’d also represent a potentially cheaper option for the North Londoners.

With that said, why would the former PSV Eindhoven ace make a great alternative, or even a better signing than the Englishman?

Well, firstly, his output in the league last season, which is every player’s bread and butter, was even better, as in just 25 appearances, totalling 2763 minutes, the dynamic “superstar,” as dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson, scored ten goals and provided seven assists.

That comes out to an outrageously impressive average of a goal involvement every 1.47 games, or one every 86.28 minutes.

In contrast, the Eagles ace managed to score eight goals and provide eight assists in 34 Premier League appearances, totalling 2603 minutes, which comes out to a still good but comparatively less impressive average of a goal involvement every 2.12 games, or every 162.68 minutes.

Away from their output, then, and another advantage the Amsterdam-born phenom has over the former QPR star is that he’s even more versatile.

For example, while he’s incredible in attacking midfield, so much so, in fact, that one analyst has dubbed him “one of the best 10s in the world,” he can also play on the left, like Eze, but also off the right and even at times up top, which is a level of flexability that would give Arteta so many tactical options.

Finally, and this is an important factor, the former Paris Saint-Germain prospect is five years younger than the Greenwich-born international, and based on research carried out by The Athletic, is still four years off his peak, whereas the former Hale Ender is technically one year past his.

Ultimately, both Eze and Simons are incredible players, but from his performances in the league to his positional versatility and age, there are several reasons the latter would be a better signing for Arsenal than the former.