Andre Silva and Dayot Upamecano: Football Whispers identifies two Arsenal targets for January
Friday 17 April 2020 14:54, UK
Football Whispers takes a look at two potential Arsenal transfer targets ahead of the January window...
Despite suffering their first loss in the Premier League since the opening day of the season against Everton on Tuesday, Arsenal have been in fine fettle this term.
The Gunners are on course to mount a genuine challenge for a first title since 2004 while they have also progressed to the last 16 of the Champions League as group winners.
One of the driving factors behind Arsenal's current form is the fact Arsene Wenger splashed more than £80m in the summer to bring in Granit Xhaka, Shkodran Mustafi and Lucas Perez.
In an effort to maintain their title push, the north Londoners have been linked with more big-money moves ahead of the January transfer window.
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Football Whispers have taken a look at two possible arrivals...
Andre Silva - Porto
Portuguese newspaper O Jogo recently reported Arsenal had sent scouts to run the rule over Silva ahead of a potential bid for the youngster. The Gunners' talent spotters will no doubt have been impressed with the Porto forward, who is enjoying a whirlwind rise to prominence for both club and country.
Born in Baguim do Monte in the north of Portugal, Silva joined Porto's academy as a teenager in 2011. Within two years he was regularly featuring for the club's B team, racking up 84 appearances and netting 24 goals for the second string before making his first-team debut last season.
In 14 appearances for Porto last term, the youngster didn't pull up any trees with just three goals. But 2016/17 is proving to be a breakout campaign for Silva.
With seven goals from 12 appearances in Primeira Liga and a further five in the Champions League - including a double against Leicester City - the 21-year-old has demonstrated his considerable finishing ability.
This red-hot form has led to international recognition, with Fernando Santos handing Silva a first cap for the European champions against Gibraltar in August - less than a year after he marked his U21 debut with a hat-trick against Albania.
He has since racked up five senior caps for Portugal and has already registered four goals.
Silva has been deployed almost exclusively as a central striker, but with the scintillating form of Alexis Sanchez, the Portuguese forward would likely have to slot into an attacking midfield berth should he move to the Emirates.
That would see Silva competing for a place in Wenger's starting XI with the likes of Theo Walcott and Mesut Ozil. Such a role may be slightly unfamiliar to the Porto youngster but he has a skill set to suggest he could succeed in a slightly deeper position.
Silva has showcased his creative skills at the Estadio Dragao with three assists so far this season, one more than Walcott and just one fewer that Ozil. In 1156 minutes of action, he has created an impressive 23 goal-scoring opportunities, giving him an average of one chance every 50.2 minutes.
Ozil, regarded as an assist-master, has created 48 chances in 1,677 minutes of game time for an average of one every 34.7 minutes, while Walcott, at one every 104 minutes, is firmly behind Silva.
With a take-on success rate of 42 per cent, Silva's dribbling skills are comparable to Walcott and Ozil (50 per cent and 44 per cent respectively), and his 41 per cent shot accuracy is better than the German's (35 per cent) and not far behind the England forward's (50 per cent); though the Portuguese has outscored both Arsenal men.
Silva has a €60m release clause in his Porto contract, but with the Liga NOS club reportedly needing to raise funds via player sales to avoid Financial Fair Play sanctions, a lower fee could potentially be negotiated.
Dayot Upamecano - Red Bull Salzburg
Arsenal are also thought to be tracking highly-rated and much sought-after Red Bull Salzburg defender Dayot Upamecano. The 18-year-old Frenchman has been linked with the likes of Juventus and Manchester City.
Spanish newspaper Sport recently reported the Gunners had made the first move in trying to sign Upamecano, but the player is said to be holding out for his dream switch to Barcelona.
The Evreux-born youngster joined the Red Bull-owned Austrian outfit from Valenciennes in 2015 after playing a key part in France's U19 European Championship winning team.
Despite his tender years, Upamecano has already made 20 appearances for Salzburg this season. With his physicality - he stands at 6ft 2ins and is likely still growing - he is strong in the tackle and a threat from set pieces, having chipped in with two goals so far.
With Mustafi and Laurent Koscielny performing so well at the heart of the Gunners' defence, Upamecano, if signed, would be regarded as back-up to the established duo.
In 1,779 minutes this season, Upamecano has won 189 duels for an average of one every 9.4 minutes. Arsenal youngster Rob Holding, who has played only 450 minutes, averages a successful duel every 15.5 minutes. The French teenager also makes an interception every 34.2 minutes, compared to Holding's average of one every 75 minutes.
