Gyökeres, Wissa, David or Vlahović - this is the striker Arsenal should sign according to the stats

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Arsenal have been linked with several strikers this January - so we compared their statistics to see who the best buy would be.

Arsenal’s search for a striker has been long and entirely unproductive so far, but based on a string of new transfer stories it looks increasingly likely that Mikel Arteta is determined to end the long wait for a new number nine this January.

If they can sign a striker – and if they sign the right one – then it gives them a chance to bridge the gap to Liverpool, who have a relatively comfortable lead at the top of the Premier League but whose form has tailed off slightly in recent weeks. The title race isn’t done just yet, and the Gunners know that the right player could tip the balance.

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But of the many players linked with a move to the Emirates, who would be the ideal signing? We delved into the stats to see what they say about the different candidates.

Which strikers are Arsenal interested in?

The biggest story that has emerged in the past day or two concerns Arsenal’s long-standing interest in Sporting and Sweden striker Viktor Gyökeres. A bid was mooted over the summer but the Gunners judged a deal to be too expensive – but now a report which originated with French newspaper L’Equipe suggests that the club are “no longer reluctant” to trigger the free-scoring forward’s enormous €100m (£84.4m) release clause.

If they can’t agree a deal for the Swede, however, and profit and sustainability rules may make such a substantial January splash challenging, there are alternatives. The Daily Telegraph claim that they have joined Nottingham Forest in showing interest in Brentford’s Yoane Wissa, who is having the best season of his career so far. There are also stories connecting Arsenal with both Lille forward Jonathan David, who is out of contract at the end of the season, and Juventus’ Dušan Vlahović.

Benjamin Šeško, another long-term target, will not realistically move in January even for a princely sum, with Fabrizio Romano saying that such a deal is “highly unlikely” to get done, with RB Leipzig unwilling to let the Slovenian leave mid-season. That leaves four plausible candidates for a January move, all of whom have strong scoring records and could easily help to propel Arsenal towards another title bid.

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Which of the four forwards would be best for Arsenal?

Obviously, financial considerations come into play when comparing the four forwards who appear to be plausible targets – David would likely be considerably cheaper than Gyökeres, for instance – but if the interest in the Swede is serious then it seems that Arsenal are determined to sign the right man for the job regardless of cost.

The statistics can give us a clue as to which of the players would perform the best. A direct comparison is imperfect given that the four players are playing at different levels and only Wissa is currently active in the Premier League itself, but they can provide some hints as to which of the strikers would be most productive.

The statistics below show us how the quartet have stacked up in terms of raw statistical output this season in key areas, looking at both their goalscoring efficiency and their creativity, which is important to a team like Arsenal who play a lot of quick passes in tight areas around the box.

Data above is from the 2024/25 season. Some stats are only available for league games.Data above is from the 2024/25 season. Some stats are only available for league games.
Data above is from the 2024/25 season. Some stats are only available for league games. | NationalWorld

The numbers suggest that Gyökeres is streets ahead of the competition both as a goalscorer and a provider. David has one more assist but the former Brighton and Coventry City man creates more than twice as many shooting chances for his team-mates as the competition.

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The only caveat is that the Portuguese league provides Gyökeres with a lot of softer matches he can feast in, but his performances in the Champions League – five goals in six games so far this season – imply that his record is only being slightly exaggerated by those easier games. He bagged a hat-trick against Manchester City and has scored against both Porto and Benfica already this year in domestic competition. His goal output includes nine penalties, but even taking those away he has 17 goals from 13.4xG. His finishing is elite.

If a deal for him proves too expensive, however, there is every argument that Wissa might be the best alternative. Vlahović has had a couple of excellent seasons in the past in Serie A, but has been the least productive option this campaign and has been inconsistent. David has consistently scored 20 or more goals in Ligue 1, while Wissa’s upswing is relatively recent, but on current form he is scoring more goals per game and compared to his expected goals, while creating slightly more chances than the others.

An added benefit may be that while Wissa exclusively plays through the middle for Brentford, he regularly plays on the wing for the Democratic Republic of Congo, and that positional versatility could make him a strong long-term option if Arsenal were to push for a player like Gyökeres or Šeško at a later date.

But if Arsenal can get a deal for Gyökeres over the line this January, all the data suggests that it would make a massive difference to a squad that sorely need a striker. Kai Havertz is not a natural finisher and his performances up front have been up and down, while Gabriel Jesus will miss the rest of the season with an ACL injury. The only question is whether they can make the money work.

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