Harry Kane is a player who’s constantly terrorised Arsenal during his professional career, scoring on countless occasions against the Gunners, whether that be for Tottenham Hotspur or Bayern Munich.
The Englishman has registered 15 goals in 20 appearances when facing the Gunners, the third most against any side he’s faced, showcasing the clinical nature he possesses in attacking areas.
Many supporters must wish the club had a player with a similar finishing ability to the 31-year-old, potentially proving to be the difference between coming second and ending the two-decade wait for a Premier League title.
Boss Mikel Arteta has been in the market for a new talisman all month long but is yet to secure a move for a new frontman with time ticking rapidly towards Monday’s deadline.
However, he’s recently been in the hunt for one player, but it remains to be seen if the Spaniard will return after the latest development at his current side.
Arsenal’s pursuit to land Ollie Watkins in January
On Wednesday, it was confirmed that Arsenal had submitted a £60m bid for Aston Villa forward Ollie Watkins, just a couple of hours before their crunch Champions League clash with Celtic.
However, the offer was swiftly rejected for the 29-year-old, with Unai Emery desperately wanting to keep hold of their star man who’s registered 21 combined goal contributions across 2024/25.
Any chance of landing the Englishman now looks to be a long shot after the West Midlands outfit accepted a mammoth £64m bid from Saudi Arabian side Al Nassr for fellow striker Jhon Duran.
It’s been reported that Arsenal are set to return with another bid for Watkins before the end of the window, but given the pending departure of one current Villa striker, it’s highly unlikely that Emery would risk losing both of his senior options this last on.
As a result, other options will have to be considered if Arteta is to land the attacking reinforcements he desires, with the likes of Benjamin Sesko and Dušan Vlahović already linked with a move to North London.
However, the Spaniard could instead return to the market for another player who’s previously been on their radar in recent weeks.
The player who would be a better option than Watkins
Jonathan David is a player who’s been in huge demand in recent months and understandably so after his superb form in Ligue 1 and the Champions League for French outfit Lille.
The Canadian international has registered 19 goals to date, with eight coming in the Champions League, playing a vital role in his current employers’ shock automatic qualification in the group stage.
As a result, Chelsea have been strongly linked alongside Newcastle United, but the Gunners have also previously been credited with an interest in the 25-year-old who could be available for a bargain fee in the coming days with his contract set to expire at the end of the season.
Given his form and the interest in his services, the Arsenal hierarchy will have to work tirelessly to secure a move for David, who’s been classed as a similar player to Kane by FBref based on his figures in Europe this campaign.
He’s also massively outperformed Watkins in the same competition, highlighting why Arteta must pursue a move for the Canadian instead of returning for Villa’s talisman in the coming days.
Games played
8
8
Goals scored
6
1
Shot-on-target accuracy
50%
40%
Goal per shot-on-target
0.6
0.1
Progressive passes
2.1
0.7
Pass accuracy
85%
73%
Take-on success
50%
20%
David, who’s previously been dubbed a “superstar” by international teammate Jonathan Osario, has outscored the 29-year-old in Europe to date, whilst also posting a higher shot-on-target accuracy rate – offering that clinical edge which the Gunners have been desperately lacking.
He’s also completed more progressive passes and achieved a higher success rate of dribbles, showcasing his all-round ability, fitting into the club’s current possession-based philosophy which requires all players to be technically gifted in such an area.
Given his current contract situation, it could be worth a late move for his services, potentially grabbing themselves a Kane-esque bargain before the closure of the window.
David’s quality is evident, as seen from his figures which have blown Watkins out of the water, with Arteta needing to put all of his efforts into securing a move for the Canadian over the Villa ace.
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