If you had told Arsenal fans that Jakub Kiwior would start in a 3-0 home win and 2-1 away win against Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-finals earlier this season, they would likely have laughed in your face.
It’s not that the Polish international is a bad player; he has stepped up at points in the past, but it would be fair to say that for much of this season, he’s been something of an afterthought and has struggled in the few appearances he’s made, like away to Fulham.
Yet, since Gabriel Magalhães’ injury, the former Spezia star has seriously stepped up, and perhaps the biggest compliment is that he’s made the Brazilian’s absence something of an afterthought.
However, there is no room for sentimentality in football, and if recent reports are to be believed, Mikel Arteta and Co have identified a defender they want to sign in the summer, a defender who would be an upgrade on Kiwior.
Arsenal's transfer targets
Now, as they once again missed out on the title this season, Arsenal are obviously looking to strengthen all over the pitch, and one of the names most heavily linked with the club in recent weeks has been Benjamin Sesko.
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The Slovenian striker, who’s still just 21, has enjoyed another stellar campaign with RB Leipzig this year, racking up 20 goals and six assists in just 41 appearances, making his supposed £58m release clause look fairly reasonable.
Another 20-year-old touted for a move to the Emirates this summer is Lyon’s incredible Rayan Cherki.
The Frenchman could be available for just £25m, which sounds like a total bargain considering he’s racked up a staggering haul of 12 goals and 18 assists in just 40 games this season and has been tipped as a “future Ballon d’Or winner,” by The Athletic’s Alex Barker.
However, neither of these exciting attackers will replace Kiwior, which is where Dean Huijsen comes in.
Yes, according to a recent report from journalist Graeme Bailey, Arsenal have maintained their strong interest in the Bournemouth star and insist he is someone they want to sign.
The report does not mention a potential price, but stories from earlier this month reiterated the claim that the Spaniard has a £50m release clause in his current deal.
It might not be an easy deal to get over the line, but given Huijsen’s immense ability and potential, it’s one worth fighting for, even if it could be bad news for Kiwior.
How Huijsen compares to Kiwior
If Arsenal were to get their man in the summer and bring Huijsen to the Emirates, it seems unlikely that he’d break up the partnership of William Saliba and Gabriel – at least for a while – so his biggest competition for a place in the squad would likely be Kiwior.
So, with that said, how do the pair stack up against one another?
Well, while it’s certainly less important for a centre-back, it’s the Bournemouth ace who just about comes out ahead when it comes to their respective output, producing three goal involvements in 31 games at an average of one every 10.33 games.
In contrast, the former Spezia ace has provided two assists in 23 games, coming out to an average of one every 11.5 games.
Unfortunately for the Polish international, he also comes out on the losing side when we take a look under the hood at their underlying numbers.
In fact, in practically every relevant metric for a modern centre-back, Huijsen comes out on top.
Non-Penalty Expected G+As
0.08
0.16
Progressive Passes
2.93
4.69
Progressive Carries
0.29
1.54
Passing Accuracy
90.7%
84.0%
Key Passes
0.29
0.61
Passes into the Final 1/3
3.64
6.05
Passes into the Penalty Area
0.14
0.31
Shot-Creating Actions
0.57
1.67
Goal-Creating Actions
0.00
0.13
Tackles Won
0.67
0.90
Blocks
0.64
1.45
Interceptions
0.62
1.90
Clearances
3.21
7.19
Ball Recoveries
2.14
3.99
Aerial Duels Won
1.14
2.68
Assessing the data, it really is no surprise that data analyst Ben Mattinson called him “the most in-demand centre-back in the world” with the Cherries defender notably a clear upgrade in key metrics such as progressive passes, ball recoveries, key passes and aerial duels won per 90 minutes,
Ultimately, Kiwior has done an exemplary job in recent weeks, but there is no way around it: Huijsen is a far better player and prospect. Therefore, Arsenal should do all they can to sign the Spaniard this summer.
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