After succumbing to Bayern Munich and Aston Villa in quick succession midway through April, Arsenal are well and truly back in form after dispatching Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur in the space of five days in the Premier League.
There were several standout players from the club's two London derby victories, such as Kai Havertz, Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice, but one star who was benched for both was Gabriel Jesus.
The former Manchester City ace has not had quite the impact he would have hoped to have this season, and based on recent reports, he might soon find himself replaced in North London.
Arsenal's search for a striker
According to a recent report from GIVEMESPORT, Arsenal have maintained their interest in Bologna striker Joshua Zirkzee and are now considered the player's 'preferred destination' ahead of a potential move this summer.
The report has revealed that, alongside the Gunners, several Serie A sides, such as Juventus and AC Milan, are keen to add the former Bayern Munich ace to their squads in the summer, but the Italian clubs are now worried that the marksman is himself eager to hold out for the north Londoners to make an offer and not to join a domestic rival of Bologna.
The good news keeps coming for Arsenal, as according to a report from ESPN in March, the Rossoblu currently value their star marksman at around £51m, and while that is still a hefty price tag, it isn't absurd in the current market when, for example, Rasmus Hojlund joined Manchester United for £72m last summer.
Everything seems to point towards a relatively straightforward transfer for the north Londoners if they do wish to sign the Dutchman. While that's great for Edu Gaspar and Arteta, it could spell trouble for Jesus, especially after it was revealed earlier this week that the club are willing to cash in on him this summer.
How Zirkzee compares to Jesus
So, if the North Londoners were to press ahead with this deal and bring Zirkzee to N5 in the summer, would they be making the right decision, and how does he stack up to Jesus?
When looking at the pair's pure output this season, the 22-year-old comes out comfortably ahead of his potential competition, scoring 12 goals and providing seven assists in 35 games to his eight goals and seven assists in 33 games. Therefore, the Brazilian averages a goal involvement every 2.2 games this season, while the Schiedam-born dynamo averages one every 1.8 games.
What about their underlying numbers, then? Does the vastly more experienced Arsenal man have the edge over his potential replacement in this area?
Expected Goals + Assists
0.48
0.61
Goals
0.39
0.24
Assists
0.19
0.24
Progressive Passes
2.73
2.48
Progressive Carries
1.70
2.24
Goals per Shot on Target
0.33
0.21
Passing Accuracy
77.2%
78.4%
Shot-Creating Actions
3.21
3.47
Goal-Creating Actions
0.31
0.43
Dispossessed
2.04
2.24
Miscontrols
3.77
3.66
Aerial Duels Won
0.97
0.93
Well, it's a bit of a mixed bag here. While he does come out ahead in more metrics than not, it isn't by very much, and he comes out second best in a few crucial ones, such as goals-to-shots-on-target, actual goals, and things like progressive passing. In essence, he has the better underlying numbers overall, but not significantly so.
So, with the prospective replacement beating out the four-time Premier League winner on actual output but coming up second best regarding underlying numbers, what else can separate them? Injuries.
In the last two seasons, the former Palmeiras gem has missed 33 games for Arsenal – a third of the games he could've played – whereas the "complete" Bologna star, as described by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has missed just eight, making him the far more reliable player of the two.
Ultimately, if Arsenal have the chance to sign Zirkzee for around £51m this summer, they should go for it. His record this season is seriously impressive, and while he might need a season or two to match Jesus' underlying numbers, he will likely be far more reliable and, therefore, useful for Arteta as the club continues their search for a Premier League title.
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