Last night saw the final nail hammered into Arsenal's season.
Mikel Arteta's side were unable to overturn their one-nil deficit away to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League and will now end the year trophyless for the fifth campaign in a row.
While the Gunners were not terrible in the French capital, they struggled to make much happen after the first 20 minutes, and like he was in the first leg, Gabriel Martinelli was quite ineffective on the wing.
martinelli-arsenal
So, with that in mind, it's not all that surprising to see reports linking the club to a potential upgrade on the Brazilian, from PSG of all teams.
Arsenal's winger search
With how ineffective Arsenal's left-hand side has been this season, there have been a whole host of talented wide players linked with a move to the Emirates in recent weeks, with Nico Williams and Kingsley Coman perhaps being some of the more prominent ones.
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The former famously has a release clause of around £50m, and while that's a lot of money to pay upfront, he's undoubtedly worth it, as not only is he still just 22 years old, but he's also already performing at a top level, amassing a tally of 11 goals and seven assists in 44 games this season.
It's a bit harder to say whether Coman would be such a brilliant addition, though, as at 28 and with an extensive and worrying injury history, the reported price tag of around £34m feels like it would be something of a gamble.
France's Kingsley Coman comes on as a substitute to replace Michael Olise as France coach Didier Deschamps looks on
However, a transfer that feels like it certainly wouldn't be a gamble is that of Lee Kang-In.
According to a recent report from Spain, Arsenal are interested in the South Korean international ahead of the summer transfer window, with Arteta a particular fan of the 24-year-old.
A potential price tag is not mentioned in the story, but another report from earlier this week claimed that PSG will demand prices in excess of £17m for the player, who is keen to leave over a lack of game time.
He might not be the biggest name around, but considering his ability and the relatively low price, this is a transfer that feels like a no-brainer for Arsenal, especially as Kang would be an upgrade on Martinelli.
How Kang compares to Martinelli
So then, one of the really significant advantages of signing Kang is that he has the experience and ability to play in various roles, which, if we know anything about Arteta, is a trait he loves in players.
Lee Kang-in for Paris Saint-Germain
For example, across his career to date, the South Korean dynamo has made a significant number of appearances in attacking midfield, off both wings, up top and even as a second striker.
However, if he were to join Arsenal in the summer, his primary role would likely be off the left, which in turn would put him in direct competition with Martinelli for game time.
So then, how do the pair stack up against one another? Well, from a pure output perspective, the PSG star comes out on top, even with fewer goals and assists to his name.
For example, in just 2307 minutes, across 44 appearances, the Namdong-gu-born dynamo has scored six goals and provided six assists, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 3.66 games, or more crucially, every 192.25 minutes.
Kang vs Marteinlli
Players
Appearances
Minutes
Goals
Assists
Goal Involvements per Match
Minutes per Goal Involvement
All Stats via Transfermarkt
In contrast, the Gunners' number 11 has scored nine goals and provided six assists in 48 appearances, totalling 3313 minutes, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 3.2 games or a significantly worse average of every 220.86 minutes.
What about when we take a look under the hood, then? Who comes out on top when we compare their underlying numbers?
Unfortunately for the former Ituano gem, it's the Parisian's talented ace, who respected analyst Ben Mattinson claims is blessed "with purpose and precision" in almost everything he does who comes out ahead.
For example, in practically every relevant metric, the maestro with a "left foot made of gold," as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, comes out on top, including but not limited to expected and actual non-penalty goals plus assists, progressive and key passes, passes into the penalty area and final third, shot and goal-creating actions, successful take-ons and more, all per 90.
Kang vs Martinelli
Statistics
Non-Penalty Expected G+As
Non-Penalty G+As
Progressive Passes
Progressive Carries
Shots
Shots on Target
Passing Accuracy
Key Passes
Passes into the Final Third
Passes into the Penalty Area
Shot-Creating Actions
Goal-Creating Actions
Tackles Won
Interceptions
Blocks
Successful Take-Ons
All Stats via FBref for the 24/25 League Season
Ultimately, while Martinelli is still a useful player in the squad, Kang appears to be superior in practically every way. Therefore, Arsenal should do all they can to sign him this summer.
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