Arsenal should consider replacing Alexander Lacazette with Chelsea’s Tammy Abraham.
Since Thomas Tuchel took over at the Stamford Bridge in January, the 23-year-old has hardly been a regular fixture in the first team.
More recently, he was excluded from the 20-man squad that lost to Leicester City in the FA Cup Final last Saturday.
The exclusion from the matchday squad against the Foxes looks likely to be the final nail on the coffin of the player’s career at West London.
According to reports, West Ham United and Aston Villa are interested in acquiring the services of the Chelsea man. But there is no justification for why Arsenal should not keep an eye on the England international.
At 23 years of age, he has the correct age profile Arsenal should be looking at the market for.
Despite his age, he has already played 82 games for Chelsea, scoring an impressive 30 goals and assisting 12. The London born center-forward also had successful loan spells at Aston Villa, Swansea City and Bristol City.
There are few players of his age who have more experience in playing in England. And that will be definitely appealing to the interested suitors. His experience does not just stop at club level.
The Englishman has even made six appearances for his national team, scoring once.
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With Alexander Lacazette turning 30 at the end of the month, extending the former Lyon man’s contract does not look like a logical decision.
Arsenal are believed to be open to the idea of offloading Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah to free up some cash in their reported ‘summer overhaul.’
If the duo do end up leaving, settling for Pierre Emerick Aubameyang, Folarin Balogun and Gabriel Martinelli as the options for the center-forward role looks short-sighted.
Abraham can fill that role perfectly. The numbers of Lacazette and Abraham, give us a broader image.
Abraham’s expected goals (xG) per 90 this season has been 0.56. While Lacazette’s xG has been 0.46. That’s pretty impressive for the Englishman, especially when he has been in and out of the Chelsea team this season.
Abraham also takes more shots per 90 than his counterpart. While the Chelsea man’s number stands at 2.76, Lacazette’s number is 2.03. With a team who is placed at 12th in terms of shots, Arsenal can only do better with players who are not afraid to shoot (sshhhh! Nobody talk about Thomas Partey!).
The 23-year-old also boasts greater aerial presence than the Frenchman. Abraham’s percentage of aerial duels won is 58.2%, while Lacazette is way behind at 33.
While looking at the non-penalty figures, the England international has a superior figure than Lacazette again. In the last 365 days, the Chelsea forward has scored 0.55 non-penalty goals compared to Lacazette’s 0.47.
However, it is worth pointing out and obvious that there are other aspects at which the Frenchman is clearly better than his opposite number. But there is no denying the fact that Abraham has more room for development at the age of 23 than Lacazette.
If Arsenal want a successful rebuild, they have to ask themselves difficult questions. The answers to those arduous questions should then be implemented in the transfer window.
David Luiz leaving is a good sign. Willian’s reported imminent departure is even better.
But the task at their hands is huge and they must carry on. Because the standards of the club has dropped massively, since they last lifted the Premier League title in 2004.