Arsenal might only be top of the Premier League table due to Manchester City's game in hand, but the Gunners are flying.
Mikel Arteta's side have recovered from their slight stumble against Bayern Munich in the Champions League and Aston Villa with three wins on the bounce, including back-to-back London derbies, which is always a great way to get fans back on the side.
The north Londoners are the league's top scorers, with 85 goals to their name. Yet following their festive period dry patch – in which they scored one goal in 63 shots – the common opinion is that they need to add a lethal striker to their ranks in the summer.
One of the names often touted for a move to the Emirates has been Newcastle United's Swedish sensation Alexander Isak, but based on recent reports, Edu Gaspar and Co could have their eyes set on someone else entirely, someone who has won favourable comparisons to Arsenal icon Thierry Henry.
Arsenal transfer news
According to recent reports from Italy – as per InterLive.it – Arsenal are interested in Inter Milan's incredibly talented striker Marcus Thuram and could potentially offer the Serie A champions a swap deal, which would see Gabriel Jesus make his way to Milan.
The report has revealed that if the Gunners did send their Brazilian star to the San Siro, they would expect to pay just €30m – £26m – for the Frenchman's signature, which could represent excellent value for Arteta's side.
The report has revealed that the Nerazzurri would be understandably reluctant to agree to this deal, but if the north Londoners can turn the 26-year-old's head and offer him a substantially higher wage than the £127k-per-week he's on now, they may find it challenging to keep him.
While spending £26m and losing Jesus in the process would represent a hefty investment from Edu and Co, it would pale compared to the supposed £100m they would have to spend to sign Isak.
How Thuram compares to Isak
It's clear that from a financial point of view, signing Thuram for £26m and losing Jesus' wages in one swoop would be a better deal for Arsenal than splashing £100m on Isak, but would that be the best footballing decision?
Would Arteta's team be improved more by signing Newcastle's number 14 or the striker Arsène Wenger described as a "very talented player" and as someone who reminded him of the great Henry?
Well, when looking at the pair's pure output this season, there is little to separate them. For example, the Frenchman's 14 goals and 13 assists in 43 games gives him an average of a goal involvement every 1.5 games, the same average the Toon ace has with his 23 goals and one assist in 36 appearances.
Appearances
43
36
Goals
14
23
Assists
13
1
Goal Involvements per Match
0.62
0.66
So what about their underlying numbers, then? Can the talented forwards be separated by what's going on under the hood? Well, it's much of the same here, as while the Swedish star slightly edges things, he's by no means clear.
For example, according to FBref, which compares players in similar positions across Europe's top five leagues, the former Real Sociedad star ranks in the top 10% of forwards for progressive carries, the top 11% for successful take-ons, the top 14% for progressive passes and the top 15% for non-penalty expected goals and pass completion, all per 90.
In comparison, Inter's "physical phenomenon", as described by talent scout Jacek Kulig, sits in the top 15% of forwards for assists, the top 16% for progressive carries, the top 19% for successful take-ons, the top 21% for non-penalty expected goals, and the top 22% for touches in the opposition's box, all per 90.
The one area in which there is a clear distinction between the pair is their injury record. Despite being two years younger, Isak has missed 54 games for club and country in his career. In contrast, his potential competitor has only missed 30 games and had a single season in which he missed more than ten games.
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Ultimately, with not much separating the two strikers regarding their ability, the fact that Thuram is less injury-prone and represents a far better financial option suggests that Arsenal are probably better off signing him over the Newcastle ace, and the fact that he has Wenger's seal of approval can only be a good thing.