This summer, Mikel Arteta has already made significant investments in Arsenal in an effort to turn them into a legitimate contender for the Premier League title. But given that other links are still active, it appears they have a long way to go.
Who has Arsenal signed as players?
Although the disputed claim first surfaced in May, it is still a good possibility for the Gunners to maybe take advantage of Barcelona’s financial predicament and tempt Ferran Torres away from their grasp.
The Spaniard arrived at the Nou Camp after an original £46.3 million transfer from Manchester City, but he has had trouble fitting in with Xavi’s title-winning team.
A move to the Emirates would be able to revive a career that formerly held great potential, which would then improve one of the few positions that hasn’t seen any hiring this window.
With the news of Declan Rice and Jurrien Timber joining Kai Havertz late last week, his acquisition would be the fourth to date.
Maybe there will be one or two other acquisitions that will give the team the depth it needs to genuinely compete with Pep Guardiola’s treble-winning heroes.
Ferran Torres has scored how many goals for Barcelona?
Even though his career has somewhat slowed after two years with the Catalan giants, the 23-year-old powerhouse still has a bright future.
Fans won’t likely be excited by his 14 goals and 9 assists in 71 appearances for Barcelona, but his performance at the Etihad should at least spark some hope for this potential trade.
After all, the Spanish international scored 13 goals and added three assists in just one season for the Manchester club in 2020–21, indicating that he may succeed in the appropriate setting.
Naturally a left-winger who like to slide inside onto his right foot, Torres is immediately compared to some of the most productive inverted wide players in the game.
Given that Vinicius Junior of Real Madrid is included among his “similar players,” it is FBref who tries to highlight the similarities between the two players.
This is further reinforced by the former Valencia player’s ranking versus other attacking midfielders and wingers in Europe. His speed, trickery, and proficiency make him a continuous threat to defenders. When compared, he is in the top 8% for progressive passes received per 90 via FBref and the top 12% for touches in the opponent’s penalty area.
He might offer more offensive vigour because he’s eager to take the ball in confined situations and create chances out of nothing.
The top player for Los Blancos is well known for this talent as well, although he has benefited by playing with a prime Karim Benzema over the past several years in a dominant Real team.
As a result, the 23-year-old scored 44 goals in all competitions last season, which is somehow more than the 42 goals he scored the year before, when his goal helped his team win the Champions League.
While Torres, who scout Jacek Kulig once praised as a “prolific goalscorer” back in 2021, is far from reaching such heights, it’s possible that a move to Arteta’s imperious environment could help the £165k-per-week finisher recapture and even surpass the levels he has shown himself capable of.
His adaptability and goal threat will undoubtedly help this Arsenal team, which is currently strong and getting better.