Arsenal & Man City eyeing £50m Patrick Schick transfer deal

Is Patrik Schick the Ideal Striker for Arsenal?

Let’s start with the good stuff: 16 goals and three assists in 14 Bundesliga matches. And, unlike Vlahovic, only one of those was a penalty. Sitting in the 98th percentile for npxG and non-penalty goals (fbref) is quite striking. In a good way, that is.

Because as we analyse all the details of a striker from how effective their hold-up play is to how they operate in half-spaces and so on and so forth, a lot will boil down to them being efficient goal scorers. This Arsenal team needs a centre-forward with all the bells and whistles, but it also needs someone to stick it in the back of the net.

Schick has an array of finishing techniques, either from tight angles, inside the box, outside the box and, yes, with his head, something that tends to be clear when you score the volume of goals he has. He is outperforming his xG by quite a margin though, which is a note of sustainability that always needs factoring in.

Standing at nearly 6’3″, his aerial prowess is something Arsenal won’t have had from a striker for some time. His aerial duels won stands at over 50%, which it needn’t be said is outstanding.

In terms of a linking tool, his passing numbers are poor but his general play with his back to goal isn’t. Physically dominant and technically sound with his first touch, he uses his body cleverly to entice defenders one way before flicking or shifting into the other direction.

He’s a centre-forward not bound to the confines of the 18-yard box. Arsenal need that.

Arsenal also need someone who presses from the front and Schick absolutely does not do that. It’s not a personal choice and is instead systematic of Beyer’s style, but he’s sitting in the 8th percentile for pressures and 7th for successful pressures.

What would happen if Arsenal were to get him pressing more? Well, they might fear injury, which is something Schick has had to deal with on a few more occasions than you’d like. It’s not the worst injury record going, but something to note.

Above all, however, is the cool £50m+ it would take to sign a player who is 25 years old and turning 26 in January. Age profiles are highly important for Arsenal in this rebuild and while an experienced centre-forward is preferred, that kind of money on someone who is 26 would be a step this club surely won’t take.

These reports state that they’re watching him, which they likely are, but it’s hard to see Arsenal spend that heavily on someone that age.