Since Mikel Arteta took charge of Arsenal in December 2019, he's got more things right than wrong.
After all, the club were languishing in tenth place when he was handed the reigns, and he has turned them into perpetual challengers in the Premier League and now the Champions League.
Moreover, while he has made his fair share of dud signings - see wingers from the blue half of West London - he's been key to securing some of the team's current stars, like Declan Rice, Gabriel Magalhaes and David Raya.
granit-xhaka-arsenal-transfer-manchester-city-yaya-toure-arteta
However, when it comes to one player who was arguably allowed to leave too easily, many fans will point to Granit Xhaka, but if recent reports are to be believed, the club are now looking to sign someone with plenty of similarities to the Swiss international.
Arsenal transfer news
Before getting to the player in question, it's worth looking at some of the other midfielders linked with Arsenal in recent weeks, like Martin Zubimendi and Morgan Rogers.
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The former received the Fabrizio Romano 'here we go' treatment on Saturday morning, so he looks like he will be on his way to the Emirates in the summer, and given his vast experience with Real Sociedad and Spain, £51m feels like a fair deal. treatment on Saturday morning
On the other hand, Rogers remains a rumour at this stage, but with 14 goals and 14 assists to his name in 52 games this season, his reported £100m valuation doesn't feel too absurd.
Aston Villa star Morgan Rogers
However, neither of these players could really be described as being similar to Xhaka, unlike Andrey Santos.
Yes, according to a recent report from France, Arsenal are now incredibly interested in signing the Chelsea ace, who's currently on loan with Racing Club de Strasbourg.
The report claims that French giants Paris Saint-Germain are also keen to secure the Brazilian's signature this summer but that the Gunners are 'hard at work' to bring him to the Emirates.
A price is not mentioned in the story, but according to a report from last month, the midfielder could be available for around £43m.
RC Strasbourg's Andrey Santos in action
It could be a complicated transfer to get over the line, but given Santos' ability and potential, it's one Arsenal should be fighting for, especially as he shares some key similarities with Xhaka.
How Santos compares to Xhaka
So, before looking at some of the other reasons Arsenal might want to sign Santos this summer, what about his game makes him similar to how Xhaka was at his best in North London?
Arsenal's Granit Xhaka celebrates scoring their fourth goal
Well, the first thing is that, like the Swiss international, the Brazilian talent has the ability to play deeper as a six but is currently thriving as a more box-to-box midfielder who's involved in everything from defence to attack.
For example, respected analyst Ben Mattinson claimed the Blues gem has "everything you want in a CM," from "top tackling ability" to a real level of "composure in front of goal."
We can see this in his underlying numbers, as according to FBref, the 21-year-old sits in the top 3% of midfielders in Europe's top five leagues for non-penalty goals and tackles, showing that he really can do both parts of the role incredibly well, as the former Gunners' ace did in his final campaign in England.
Furthermore, if underlying numbers aren't your cup of tea, then he's got the raw output to back up the praise he's received for his attacking prowess as well.
Santos' 24/25
Appearances
Minutes
Goals
Assists
Goal Involvements per Match
Minutes per Goal Involvement
All Stats via Transfermarkt
In just 33 appearances for Les Bleu et Blanc, totalling 2934 minutes, the 5 foot 11 "duel monster," as dubbed by Mattinson, has scored ten goals and provided five assists, coming out to an average of a goal involvement every 2.2 games, or every 195.6 minutes.
Ultimately, Santos would play second fiddle to Rice for a while, but given how incredibly well he has played in France this season, he would be the perfect backup.
Andrey-Santos-Chelsea
Therefore, Arsenal should do all they can to sign him, as he might just be their next Xhaka.
bukayo-saka-arsenal-1 Related
[He's a dream for Saka: Arsenal doing lots of work to sign £67m "monster"](https://www.footballfancast.com/a-dream-for-saka-arsenal-have-done-a-lot-of-work-to-sign-sesko/ "He's a dream for Saka: Arsenal doing lots of work to sign £67m "monster"")
The sensational striker would be a game-changer for Arsenal.