Arsenal struck gold with “world-class” star

Ask an Arsenal fan what part of the team needs reinforcing in the summer, and we’re sure they’d say centre-forward.

Go a step further and ask them the striker they want to come in, and Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak will almost certainly be one of the first names mentioned.

However, while the Swede would be an incredible addition to Mikel Arteta’s side, he’s not the only player the North Londoners should and could sign from the Magpies.

According to reports from earlier this month, the Gunners are once again interested in the immensely talented Bruno Guimarães, although, as incredible as the Brazilian is, he’s still worth millions less than one of Arsenal’s leading stars.

Why Arsenal would want to sign Guimarães

So, there are a few reasons why Arsenal would want to splash the cash on Guimarães in the summer, with the first being that he can play in two positions to a brilliant standard.

For example, while he has played in four positions across his career, he has spent the majority of his time playing either as a defensive midfielder or a central midfielder, making 181 appearances as the former and

76 as the latter.

On top of his positional versatility – a trait we know Arteta values – the Brazilian international is a genuine threat on the attack, as in just 37 appearances this season, totalling 3006 minutes, he has scored three goals and provided eight assists.

That means the former Lyon star is averaging a goal involvement every 3.36 games, or every 273.27 minutes, despite making most of his appearances at the base of midfield this year.

Finally, the “world-class” 27-year-old, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has bags and bags of experience under his belt, winning 32 caps for the Seleção and captaining the Toon to their first trophy in 70 years, which might be the sort of thing to help the Gunners get over the line next year.

In all, Guimarães is one of the most exciting midfielders in the Premier League and more than deserving of his €65.2m valuation – £55m – from the CIES Football Observatory, although that is substantially lower than one of Arsenal’s midfield stars.

The Arsenal star worth millions more than Guimarães

While this season hasn’t entirely gone according to plan, Arsenal are blessed with several top-class midfielders, from club captain Martin Odegaard to Thomas Partey and the vastly experienced Jorginho.

However, in this instance, we are talking about Declan Rice, who, according to the CIES Football Observatory, is worth €108.3m, which is about £91m, or £36m more than Guimarães.

Now, that might seem like a lot considering the Brazilian’s sensational ability, but Rice is no slouch himself, and based on his performances for the Gunners, is more than worth his valuation.

For example, the former West Ham United captain has proven to be a versatile midfielder, making 48 appearances as the left-eight and 42 as the team’s six, doing brilliantly in both roles.

Moreover, he’s also become a more reliable attacking outlet as well, racking up an impressive tally of 12 goals and 18 assists in 91 appearances for the North Londoners, totalling 7380 minutes.

That means the “world-class” Englishman, as dubbed by journalist Tom Marshall-Bailey, has averaged a goal involvement every 3.03 games, or every 246 minutes, since moving to the Emirates.

Finally, his underlying numbers are stellar, as, according to FBref, he sits in the top 4% of midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues for carries into the penalty area, the top 5% for progressive carries, the top 6% for assists, the top 12% for passes blocked and more, all per 90.

Ultimately, signing Guimarães would undoubtedly make Arsenal a far stronger team, but he would have to hit the ground running to see his valuation catch up with Rice’s.