Arsenal enjoyed another unbelievable Premier League campaign this year, but just like last season, it ended trophyless.
Mikel Arteta's squad have come on leaps and bounds over the last few years, but there is still a slight gap between them and Manchester City, which they have to address this summer.
The latest player touted for a move to the Emirates would be an upgrade on the talented Thomas Partey at the base of midfield, and interestingly, he has won comparisons to one of the Gunners' most beloved cult figures: Santi Cazorla.
Arsenal transfer news
According to a recent report from The Athletic, Arsenal are one of several Premier League clubs interested in signing Benfica's star midfielder Joao Neves this summer.
The article does not mention the other interested teams by name, but another report from Portugal has revealed Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United as the other English teams keen on the youngster.
In fact, the story reveals that United have already seen a €60m – £51m – offer rejected, as the Lisbon-based club are not prepared to entertain offers below €100m, which is around £85m.
It could be a challenging and expensive deal to complete for Edu Gaspar and Co, but with signs Neves could be better than Partey and comparisons to Cazorla, it's one worth pursuing.
How Neves compares to Partey and Cazorla
As the Benfica ace would likely be brought in to play either at the base of midfield or potentially as the left eight, let's first look at how he compares to the man he'd likely replace: Partey.
The Ghanaian international only played 882 minutes across all competitions this season, so to get a more fair comparison it would make sense to compare his underlying numbers from last season to the 19-year-old's from this season.
With that said, who comes out on top? Would the Portuguese prospect really be a better option already? In short, yes he would.
Non-Penalty Expected Goals + Assists
0.16
0.14
Non-Penalty Goals
0.12
0.11
Assists
0.04
0.00
Progressive Carries
1.67
1.23
Progressive Passes
6.65
8.37
Progressive Passes Received
2.06
1.27
Shots
1.13
1.01
Shots on Target
0.43
0.14
Passing Accuracy
88.5%
87.2%
Shot-Creating Actions
3.00
2.57
Goal-Creating Actions
0.27
0.22
Tackles
2.53
2.54
Tackles Won
2.06
1.45
Blocks
1.91
0.94
Interceptions
1.36
1.01
Clearances
1.48
1.49
Errors Leading to a Shot
0.00
0.04
Successful Take-Ons
1.60
1.27
Ball Recoveries
8.25
8.15
Aerial Duels Won
1.60
1.34
For example, while the former Atlético Madrid star comes out on top in metrics like clearances, tackles and progressive passes, he's second best in practically everything else, including tackles won, blocks, interceptions, successful take-ons, ball recoveries, aerial duels won, passing accuracy and many more, all per 90.
With it clear the 19-year-old would already be an upgrade on the Gunners' current midfield general, where have the comparisons to their former Spanish magician come from?
Well, it was data analyst Ben Mattinson who described the Tavira-born gem as "Santi Cazorla-esque", citing his dribbling ability, technical mastery and nature to "win the ball" and "then carry it past many opponents" as the main reasons why.
Moreover, Mattinson argues that he can "see the game better than others" and that while young, "he loves the battles" and "will become one of the best CMs" in world football.
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Ultimately, while the fee will be enormous, and the pressure equally so, Neves already looks the superior player to Partey, and with some apparent similarities to Cazorla in his game and temperament, this is a transfer Arsenal cannot afford to miss out on.