Arsenal’s latest defeat showed once again that they desperately need a new attacking midfielder. The Gunners lack creativity in the final third, and most of the service their attackers get is from their wing-backs.
Lyon star Houssem Aouar was one of Arsenal’s main targets in the summer. The Frenchman proved to be too expensive in the end and the Gunners signed Thomas Partey on transfer deadline day instead.
Arsenal fans want their club to make another move for Aouar in January, but his humongous price-tag makes him an unreasonable option. Mikel Arteta, Edu and the rest need to find someone cheaper, and one of their other targets could be perfect.
RB Salzburg star Dominik Szoboszlai has been on Arsenal’s radar for a while now. The Hungarian is one of the most talented young midfielders in Europe at the moment, and his agent confirmed recently that the Gunners are interested in signing him (Read more here).
Gazzetta dello Sport claimed last week that Szoboszlai has a release clause of just £23 million (Read more here). That is less than half what Aouar would cost, which makes it a no-brainer for Arsenal if they are really interested.
However, is Szobszlai – someone who is yet to play in one of Europe’s top five league – a better player than Aouar?
Aouar vs Szobszlai – Who should Arsenal sign?
Aouar has played eight games so far this season and has two goals and an assist to his name. Szoboszlai, on the other hand, has played 13 games this season in all competitions, and has scored five goals and has provided nine assists.
In the league, Aouar has created just two big chances and averages 0.9 key passes per game. He averages only 41.1 touches per match, a fairly low amount for someone who has played centrally in every game so far (SofaScore).
In the Austrian Bundesliga Szoboszlai has created five big chances and averages a very impressive 3.4 key passes per game. He touches the ball 51 times per 90 minutes – more than Aouar despite playing out wide in every game this season. (SofaScore)
Ligue 1 is a lot stronger than the Austrian Bundesliga, and better stats for Szobszlai don’t necessarily mean he is a better player than Aouar. However, he is a quality attacker and, at just £23 million, he is more of an affordable option than the Frenchman for Arsenal in January.
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