Arsenal: Olivier Giroud not in the same league as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang

Arsenal are reportedly set to offer Olivier Giroud as a part of a deal for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. That may be a little harsh on the Frenchman, but if it means signing Aubameyang, it is fair. He is not in the same league as the lightning centre-forward.

Arsenal are set for an attacking shake-up. At least, that is what it looks like. Theo Walcott is arriving on Merseyside as I write this for a medical to complete a £20 million move to Everton; Alexis Sanchez is inching his way towards a Manchester United move; Olivier Giroud is now also being mentioned as a possible departee, having nearly exited in the summer.

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Arsene Wenger, ostensibly, having a winter clearing out. And he is hoping to replace those outgoing with improved options. Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Anthony Martial and Malcom have all surfaced as potential Alexis Sanchez successors, with the former two involved in a potential swap deal, while Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is reportedly the subject of a quite astonishing bid.

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The bid that I refer to is a £35-million-plus-Giroud offer that seems a little fanciful and fantastical.  Swap deals rarely work. Swap deals involving such high profile players and large sums of money have an even lesser chance of succeeding. But such is the weight of reporting on Tuesday afternoon, it is a rumour that deserves discussion.

And, really, the only question to answer is this: How much better than Giroud is Aubameyang? Or, to put it another way: What is the difference between the two players actually worth? Because that is where the success of this deal will be determined. Is, for example, Aubameyang £35 million better than Giroud? Well, I think he might be, and my reasoning is very simple indeed: goals.

In the last two-and-a-half years, which is a large enough sample size to rule out anomalies and a small enough sample size to factor in player development and modern form, Giroud has played 5,230 minutes of Premier League, Champions League and Europa League football. He has scored 42 goals, which yields a goal every 124.5 minutes.

In contrast, in the same period, Aubameyang has played 8,605 minutes of Bundesliga, Champions League and Europa League minutes. He has scored 88 goals, which yields a goal every 97.78 minutes. That is a substantial improvement on the man he would be replacing.

More than just stats, though, Aubameyang offers a style that suits Arsenal far better than Giroud. His blistering speed complements Mesut Ozil’s creative passing, his intelligent drifting wide suits Alexandre Lacazette, and his playing on the shoulder aids a midfield and defence that has struggled against opponents who are brave enough to press them high up the pitch.

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Aubameyang is a far better player than Giroud. He’s also younger. He may be more expensive, but if Arsenal can secure him for £35 million plus the Frenchman, then they will have done very well indeed.