With over half of the Premier League season played, Arsenal find themselves in the midst of another title race, and while they aren't leading like they were last year, they are still within touching distance of Liverpool and Manchester City.
The summer signing of Declan Rice has helped to make the team more robust in defence, but with the side looking less fluid in attack, Mikel Arteta's decision to spend £65m on Kai Havertz is coming more and more under the microscope.
In fact, the latest player touted for a move to the Emirates is a midfielder who could very well take the German's position in the team, so maybe it isn't just the fans who are growing impatient with the former Chelsea man's performances.
Arsenal look to Italy for midfield reinforcements
According to GOAL Brasil, Arsenal are among several clubs interested in Atalanta's star midfielder Ederson and have 'made inquiries' about his availability in the transfer market.
The report has revealed that Liverpool, Manchester United, Newcastle United and Paris Saint-Germain have also inquired about the 24-year-old this month. Still, no club has made a formal offer to the Bergamo outfit as things stand.
There has not been a reliable report as to how much the Serie A side want for their dynamic midfielder, but CIES Football Observatory values him at around €30m (£26m), which, if accurate, might represent a bargain in this market, and a brilliant opportunity for Arsenal to sign the perfect Havertz replacement.
How Ederson compares to Havertz
Now, had Havertz arrived for a substantially smaller fee, or perhaps from a club that wasn't Chelsea, he might be getting less flack for his performances this season, as his return of four goals and one assist in 21 Premier League appearances isn't utterly woeful, it is just very, very underwhelming.
What makes it worse is that he doesn't look much better than when he first arrived at the club, essentially torpedoing any hope some might have had that he'd grow into his role in N5.
With that in mind and football being as cutthroat as it is, it does make sense to start looking for a replacement, especially if the Gunners have any genuine ambition to win the league, and Atalanta's Ederson looks to be that ideal replacement.
While his return of five goals and one assist in 21 Serie A appearances is only slightly better than the German's output in England, what is going on under the hood makes all the difference.
When comparing the pair's underlying numbers, it becomes practically impossible to argue for Havertz over the Brazilian, as in the vast majority of relevant metrics, he is beaten, and in several instances, it isn't even close.
For example, the "versatile" midfielder, as South American football expert Tim Vickery described him, scores more non-penalty goals than the German from a lower non-penalty expected goal and assist figure; he also produces significantly more progressive passes, shots on target and shot-creating actions per 90 than his potential future teammate.
Non-Penalty Expected Goals + Assists
0.19
0.33
Non-Penalty Goals
0.26
0.22
Progressive Passes
6.67
4.06
Progressive Carries
1.13
1.45
Shots on Target
0.41
0.22
Passing Accuracy
82.9%
81.6%
Shot-Creating Actions
2.57
2.25
Tackles Won
1.85
0.72
Blocks
1.38
1.23
Interceptions
1.44
0.80
Clearances
0.82
0.51
Successful Take-Ons
0.82
0.51
Ball Recoveries
6.10
4.71
It isn't just in attack where he thoroughly outclasses the former Bayer Leverkusen prodigy, though, as his defensive output is genuinely impressive, and Vickery's assertion that he's a "strong" player certainly rings true when looking at the number of tackles he wins and the number of blocks, interceptions and clearances he makes per 90.
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Ultimately, the Gunners need someone new to come in and make that left-eight position their own if they are to push on and fight for this league title, and Ederson looks like he could be the man to do that.