Depending on which report you read, Arsenal have problems in a number of positions across the pitch. A lack of experienced centre-backs has today led to suggestions that Francis Coquelin could start the season at the heart of defence, with Per Mertesacker sidelined, Laurent Koscielny handed an extended leave of absence following his exertions at Euro 2016 and summer signing Rob Holding’s inexperience. Arsene Wenger’s decision to drop the Frenchman back would have had larger ramifications had the Gunners not secured the signing of Granit Xhaka prior to the European Championship.
Further forward, Jamie Vardy rejecting Arsenal in favour of staying at Premier League champions Leicester has highlighted the need for another striker, particularly in the wake of Danny Welbeck’s latest injury blow. The England man’s versatility on the frontline is a bonus to Wenger, but with a knee problem sidelining Welbeck for the foreseeable future, Arsenal need to dip into the transfer market once more or run the risk of falling behind their rivals in the race for the title.
While a striker could feasibly be a priority for Wenger, despite Olivier Giroud’s effective performances for France at Euro 2016, the Frenchman is hoping his latest raid of the defending champions will prove more of a formality than the previous attempt. Along with Vardy and Chelsea new boy N’Golo Kante, Riyad Mahrez was the star man for the Foxes in their surprise title win last term. The Algerian gained a better WhoScored rating (7.84) than any other player in the Premier League last season.
Of course, his excellent form hasn’t gone unnoticed. A host of teams across the continent have taken a liking to the 25-year-old wing wizard and deservedly so. After a par-for-course debut campaign in England’s top tier, Mahrez was simply superb for Leicester under Claudio Ranieri. Only Vardy (30) was directly involved in more league goals for the champions than Mahrez (28 - 17 goals, 11 assists), contributing to his fine WhoScored rating. It’s little wonder, therefore, that Arsenal are keen to bring the Algeria star to the capital.
Importantly, though, is that Mahrez would resolve something of a problem area for the north London giants. Comfortable across the attacking third, Mahrez’s best position is on the right flank. Indeed, the right wing has become something of an Achilles heel for Arsenal, from an attacking sense anyway. Wenger started no fewer than six players on the right of his favoured 4-2-3-1 formation in England’s top tier last term, with Joel Campbell making the most starts in the position, with 11.
Ratings wise, Alexis Sanchez (8.27) was the best rated player on the right, but the Chilean is better suited on the left of the attacking three, leaving Wenger with a selection headache. That isn’t to say his options are poor, but rather he needs a more comfortable attacking outlet on this side of the pitch. Mahrez, then, would be the ideal acquisition to further strengthen Arsenal’s attack. Teams often back off Arsenal meaning they need a direct threat to penetrate staunch opposition defences. Indeed, Mahrez completed more dribbles (131) than any other player in the Premier League last season.
Mahrez proved time and time again that he doesn’t run with the ball simply for the sake of it, with the Algerian’s end product of a very high standard. His conversion rate (19.8%) was the fourth best of the 21 players to score 10 or more goals in the Premier League last season. Interestingly, Alexis Sanchez (12.1%) had the worst conversion rate of players using the same parameters. Clearly, Mahrez’s possible arrival would ease the burden on the Chilean attacker, who is often looked to as Arsenal’s best route to goal.
Yet with the pair flanking midfield maestro Mesut Ozil, Arsenal would have both the speed, end product and creative qualities to trouble any defence in the league. Ozil played the most key passes (146), registered the most assists (19) and ranked third for clear-cut chances created (28) in Europe’s top five leagues last season. With the duo maximising their searing pace to get in behind opponents coupled with the German’s ability to pick out passes few others could, Alexis and Mahrez would thrive either side of the playmaker.
The main concern, of course, would be whether Mahrez can carry out the required defensive duties to right-back Hector Bellerin. One of the main reasons Wenger often deploys Aaron Ramsey on the right wing is due to the Welshman’s work off the ball, thus allowing Bellerin to provide the necessary width from deep in order to help stretch opponents. With Ramsey on the wing, the young Spain right-back can attack with less inclination to instantly return to his starting position and is not restricted per se when he does push forward.
Mahrez may have averaged a respectable 1.4 tackles per league game last season, but then that was a big drop from Ramsey’s 2.5 tackles per game from the nine league matches he started on the right flank. The increased protection on the right is something that Wenger is unlikely to sacrifice, unless Arsenal are the dominant side and run very little risk of being caught out defensively. In either case, though, Mahrez’s possible signing would send a strong statement of intent out to their rivals.
Furthermore, his arrival would ease the burden on Alexis, allowing for Wenger to rest the Chilean more often rather than run the risk of fatigue and injury setting in. As Theo Walcott and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain continue to struggle with form and injury, investment on the flank is somewhat a necessity. If Arsenal can indeed convince Leicester to sell Mahrez, and the player to subsequently move to the Emirates, then the quality of Wenger’s attacking options will improve considerably, perhaps placing them right back in the hunt in the race for silverware.
Should Arsenal be going all out to sign Riyad Mahrez this summer? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below
