Arsenal returned to Premier League action with a bang over the weekend, putting five past a hapless Crystal Palace side to try and quieten any talk of crisis slowly festering during the winter break.
While Mikel Arteta would have been delighted with what he saw from his side, taking off a visibly uncomfortable Declan Rice in the second half would have been a real worry for the Spaniard.
Luckily, the Englishman seems okay, but his substitution exposed a weakness in the Gunners' midfield, which they have been trying to address for over a year.
One of the players that has been touted for a move to N5 has been Douglas Luiz, but with Aston Villa's reluctance to sell, the north Londoners might be better served signing the latest midfielder linked to the Emirates.
Arteta looks for a Galactico
According to a report from Spain earlier this week, Arsenal are 'very interested' in Real Madrid's incredibly talented young midfielder Eduardo Camavinga and are prepared to 'fight' for him in the transfer market.
The report has also revealed that, alongside the Gunners, Liverpool are also keen on the French maestro and are prepared to go toe-to-toe with the north Londoners to secure the player's signature this year.
The bad news for the sides is that if a move is sanctioned, it is expected to cost in excess of €100m – £85m – and that even if a team can stump up this kind of cash, Florentino Perez does not want to sell the 21-year-old.
That said, the report does mention that while Los Blancos have faith in their young star, there is 'cause for concern' that he could leave, following in the footsteps of previous Real icons like Raphael Varane and Casemiro.
How Eduardo Camavinga compares to Douglas Luiz
Now, signing either Luiz or Camavinga would make Arsenal a more formidable prospect; of that, there can be no doubt, but there are a couple of reasons why the former Rennes gem would make for more intelligent business.
The first thing to note is that if the reports about Real demanding offers in excess of £85m are accurate, then signing the potentially less glamorous Villa dynamo would be no cheaper as Football Insider revealed last week that it would take at least £100m to secure the Brazilian's services this month.
That said, the first thing Real's "generational talent", as described by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has over his competition is big game experience. Despite being just 21 years old, the French international has played on the biggest stages in world football, from starting a group game in the 2022 World Cup to coming on in the final.
Moreover, he has also been there and done it for Los Blancos, making ten Champions League appearances for the side – including in the final – when they lifted the trophy in the 2021/22 season.
It was in the club's miraculous comeback against Chelsea, in which they scored a goal in extra time to secure passage into the semi-finals, that sports broadcaster and content creator Nubaid Haroon described the young Frenchman as someone who "plays with a cigar in his mouth" due to how unphased he was by the magnitude of the game.
The second reason for signing Camavinga over Luiz is the pair's underlying numbers.
Camavinga
Luiz
0.08
0.23
5.83
5.67
3.21
1.96
0.71
1.70
89.3%
85.0%
0.36
0.31
3.68
3.82
2.38
1.29
57.1%
54.1%
1.67
1.24
1.79
0.72
1.19
0.77
8.33
6.34
While the two players are relatively evenly matched in a lot of areas, such as goal and shot-creating actions, and Luiz even clears the Frenchman in things like non-penalty expected goals and assists, when it comes to the defensive metrics – the most important statistics for a number six – there is no competition.
The Real sensation trounces Luiz for tackles won, blocks, interceptions, clearances and ball recoveries, and at just 21 years old, there is no telling just how dominant he could become at the base of midfield.
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Ultimately, if Arsenal want to bolster their defensive midfield and make sure that come rain or shine, it is an area of the pitch they have locked down, then signing a player the calibre of Camavinga is a no-brainer.
