Arsenal eye Bruno Guimaraes transfer as Locatelli alternative

Lyon Open to Bruno Guimaraes Sale as Arsenal Seek Xhaka Replacement

Lyon want to keep Bruno. They only signed him less than two years ago and he had a superb campaign for them in his first full season. Lyon are also in desperate need of money. Losing €120m for failing to secure Champions League football on top of their already troubling concerns, that couldn’t be clearer.

The fact they’re willing to sell Aouar for less than half of what they asked for 12 months ago says enough.

So far this summer, Bruno has been one of the highlights of the Brazilian national side at the Tokyo Olympics. His excellent performances have followed on from those he produced in the domestic campaign, and with a fee of around £30m felt to be enough to convince Lyon’s hand, the question is: yes or no?

Statistically, Bruno profiles superbly.

His numbers in possession are a nod to the type of midfielder Arteta might want to replace Xhaka. Strong pass completion numbers across all lengths is accompanied by the target of those deliveries. Sitting in the 85th and 93rd percentiles (FBref) for passes into the final third and passes into the penalty area respectively, as well as 85th for progressive passes, demonstrates the positive approach when on the ball.

Beyond being a progressive passer, he carries too: 96th percentile or higher for progressive carries and carries into the final third. This is an all-action midfielder’s profile.

Technically sound, Bruno also averaged 12.27 passes under pressure (97th percentile) and clocks up a 92nd percentile score for through balls, all of which hints at him being more of a No. 8 than anything else.

However, he would fall more into the deep-lying playmaker role, with a healthy sprinkling of box-to-box in between. His all-round game is superb, and outstanding tackling numbers and defensive stats help to express that: Bruno is 98th percentile for tackles in general, which includes all thirds of the pitch and tackles made on dribblers. The latter point Xhaka can’t begin to lay a claim to.

Does this all add up in the Premier League? And does it help make the signing worthwhile?

Continued…