We are now less than three weeks away from the return of the Premier League, and with two strong performances under their belt in pre-season, Arsenal are looking good.
Mikel Arteta's men beat Bournemouth on penalties last week before beating Manchester United in 90 minutes over the weekend, and while several Hale End products were given the chance to play, one was notably absent: Emile Smith Rowe.
The talented fan favourite didn't even feature in the squad for the match against United, and that is almost certainly because his proposed move to Fulham appears to be approaching completion.
The Croydon-born midfielder is an undeniably talented player, but losing him may not be too much of a problem for the Gunners as, according to recent reports, Edu Gaspar and Co are already chasing his ideal replacement.
Arsenal transfer news
According to a recent report from Caught Offside, Arsenal have maintained their interest in Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Fabian Ruiz.
The report claims the Spanish international is viewed as a 'viable option' to strengthen the Gunners' midfield this summer.
Reports late last week revealed that the North Londoners had opened talks with PSG over the European Champion and were keen to structure a loan deal with an obligation to buy next summer, akin to the transfer of David Raya.
Bringing Ruiz to the Emirates this summer would be an excellent idea and the perfect way to replace Smith Rowe, if not upgrade him.
How Ruiz compares to Smith Rowe
So, if Ruiz is on his way to Arsenal in the coming weeks as midfield depth and to replace Smith Rowe, how does he stack up to the Englishman?
Well, when it comes to the pair's raw output, it's quite challenging to compare them fairly, as, unfortunately for the Gunners ace, he hasn't played any significant first-team minutes in the last two seasons, last playing over 1000 minutes in the 2021/22 campaign.
In contrast, even though he hasn't been the first name on the Parisians' teamsheet – far from it, in fact – the former Real Betis man played 2240 minutes last season, in which he racked up three goals and seven assists.
Now, while comparing just their goal and assist numbers would be rather pointless, we can get a clearer idea of whom the better player is by diving into their underlying numbers to see who has performed best on a per 90 basis.
Unsurprisingly, even though the Englishman edges it in specific metrics, it's the Spanish "artist", as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, who comes out ahead overall.
Non-Penalty Expected Goals + Assists
0.25
0.56
Actual Non-Penalty Goals + Assists
0.40
0.19
Progressive Passes
6.24
6.36
Shots on Target
0.40
1.30
Passing Accuracy
89.3%
88.1%
Passes into the Final Third
4.90
3.86
Key Passes
1.44
1.36
Passes into the Penalty Area
1.29
2.95
Crosses into the Penalty Area
0.25
0.00
Live Passes
62.0
55.9
Completed Through Balls
0.25
0.00
Shot-Creating Actions
2.98
4.31
Goal-Creating Actions
0.50
0.68
Tackles Won
1.33
0.74
Blocks
0.89
0.68
Interceptions
0.85
1.11
Clearances
1.24
0.23
Successful Take-Ons
1.19
0.68
Carries
59.6
42.0
Ball Recoveries
6.34
5.00
For example, he emerges victorious in metrics such as non-penalty goals and assists, passing accuracy, key passes, passes into the final third, crosses into the penalty area, live passes, completed through balls, tackles won, blocks, clearances, ball recoveries, carries and successful take-ons, all per 90.
Ultimately, while the idea of Smith Rowe leaving is a sad one for Arsenal fans, and understandably so, Ruiz would be an incredible replacement, and based on his performances for Spain and PSG alongside his impressive underlying numbers, it would be hard to deny he'd be an improvement to boot.
Arsenal struck gold on "pure talent" now worth way more than Smith Rowe
The incredible talent has been a sensational player for the Gunners.
ByJack Salveson Holmes