Trossard upgrade: Arsenal handed chance to sign “one of Europe’s best LWs”
There is still a long way to go, but this season really is shaping up to be a spectacular one for Arsenal.
Thanks to their wins over Bournemouth and Aston Villa and Manchester City’s draws with Sunderland and Chelsea, Mikel Arteta’s side are now six points clear in the Premier League.
Moreover, with players returning from injury, there is an expectation that the Gunners will only get better as the campaign progresses.
As if that wasn’t enough for Arsenal fans, the club could also have the chance to sign a longterm target in the summer, someone who’d be an upgrade on the inform Leandro Trossard.
Arsenal handed chance to sign Trossard upgrade
While there are a few players who have underwhelmed for Arsenal so far this season, there are more who have seriously impressed.
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The likes of Declan Rice, William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhães, and Bukayo Saka, for example, are playing like men possessed, but perhaps the most improved player of all has been Trossard.
The Belgian wasn’t bad last year, but he has been playing at an unbelievable level so far this season, constantly popping up with goals and assists when the team need him most.
However, he could still find his game time reduced somewhat next season as the Gunners may soon be handed the chance to sign a long-term target who’d be an upgrade on the 31-year-old.
At least that is according to reports from France, which claim that Paris Saint-Germain star Bradley Barcola could be on the move in the summer.
Speaking on Ici, L’Équipe journalist Loic Tanzi said, “I think that Barcola will be a real topic next summer, to leave Paris Saint-Germain.”
This could be music to Arsenal’s ears, as just last month the North Londoners were credited with strong interest in the game-changing winger.
It could be a hugely expensive deal to get done, though, with reports from last summer stating that the Parisian side value their star at around €100m, which is about £86m.
Even so, if there is any chance Arsenal can sign Barcola this year, they should take it, as he could be a game-changing addition and a serious upgrade on Trossard.
How Barcola compares to Trossard
Now, one of Barcola’s many strengths is the ability to play on both flanks if needed.
However, like Trossard, his primary position is on the left, and based on current form, the Belgian would be his primary competitor for game time at Arsenal.
So, which winger comes out on top when we compare them?
Well, when looking at their raw output from the start of last season to today, it’s the Frenchman who comes out ahead.
For example, in this period, he has scored 26 goals and provided 24 assists in 86 appearances, totalling 5301 minutes.
This comes out to an incredible average of a goal involvement every 1.72 games, or every 106.02 minutes, which lends plenty of credence to analyst Ben Mattinson’s claim that he’s “one of the best left-wingers in Europe.”
In contrast, the former Brighton & Hove Albion star has scored 17 goals and provided 16 assists in 79 appearances, totalling 4783 minutes.
This comes out to a less impressive average of a goal involvement every 2.39 games, or every 144.93 minutes.
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Okay, what about their underlying numbers? Who comes out looking better when we take a look under the hood?
Barcola vs Trossard
Statistics per 90
Barcola
Trossard
Non-Penalty Expected G+As
0.65
0.52
Progressive Passes
4.22
4.12
Progressive Carries
4.56
3.19
Shots on Target
1.90
0.76
Passing Accuracy
83.9%
71.8%
Key Passes
2.11
1.76
Shot-Creating Actions
4.35
3.71
Goal-Creating Actions
0.67
0.34
Tackles Won
0.78
0.76
Successful Take-Ons
2.11
0.76
All Stats via FBref for the 25/26 League Season
Well, rather unsurprisingly, it’s once again the PSG gem.
The 23-year-old does better in almost every single metric, including things like non-penalty expected goals plus assists, key passes, passing accuracy, shot and goal-creating actions, successful take-ons and more, all per 90.
Ultimately, Trossard is a great player and has been nothing short of brilliant so far this season.
However, Barcola would clearly be an upgrade, and therefore, if Arsenal have the chance to sign him this year, they should take it.
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