Arsenal want to sign ‘one of the best CBs in the PL’

It wouldn’t be unfair to say that, for much of this year, there’s not been much for Arsenal fans to celebrate.

First, the club failed to sign anyone in the winter transfer window, then they crashed out of the FA Cup and League Cup, and to top it all off, injuries and a lapse in form saw them bow out of the Premier League title race.

However, in the last month or so, the team feel like they’ve turned a corner and, following what will go down as a legendary victory over Real Madrid in the quarter-finals of the Champions League, there is a palpable sense of optimism and positivity coursing through the fanbase.

This turnaround in the team’s fortunes has also been reflected in individual players, with perhaps the most significant transformation – alongside Mikel Merino – being that of Jakub Kiwior.

The Polish international has gone from a worrying afterthought to a growing fan favourite and someone who looked impeccable away at the Bernabeu, but football is a brutal business, and if recent reports are to be believed, the club could already be eyeing up his replacement.

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Before we get to the player in question, there are a few other defenders who have been touted for moves to Arsenal this summer, such as Dean Huijsen.

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The Bournemouth gem reportedly has a £50m release clause in his contract. However, just because the club knows how much he’ll cost doesn’t mean he’ll be easy to sign, as sides like Real Madrid, Chelsea and Liverpool have also been credited with interest.

Another name that has, rather surprisingly, come up in connection to the North Londoners in recent days is Nathan Collins.

The Brentford ace has been enjoying a stellar campaign with the Bees this season and, according to journalist Graeme Bailey, is someone the Gunners have been looking at.

However, it probably wouldn’t be entirely accurate to describe the Irishman as being better than Kiwior, which could be said about Murillo.

Yes, according to a recent report from Caught Offside, Arsenal are one of the Nottingham Forest star’s ‘main suitors’ ahead of the summer transfer window.

Alongside the Gunners, the report has revealed that Liverpool, Chelsea and Real Madrid are also interested in the talented defender, but that the Tricky Trees value him at around €80m, which is about £69m.

It would be a costly and complicated transfer to get over the line, but Murrilo would undoubtedly improve Arsenal’s squad, although he’d be bad news for Kiwior.

How Murillo compares to Kiwior

So, if Arsenal were to get their way this summer and bring Murillo to the Emirates, it seems unlikely, at least to start with, that he’d replace either William Saliba or Gabriel Magalhães as the team’s starting centre-back.

Therefore, he’d likely be the first backup option and, in turn, be in direct competition with Kiwior, but who comes out on top when we compare them?

Well, as raw output isn’t something that really matters all that much for a central defender, it’s more useful to take a look under the hood, at their underlying numbers, and when doing this, it’s clear that the Brazilian is far superior.

For example, he comes out on top in almost all relevant metrics, including but not limited to, progressive passes and carries, tackles and tackles won, interceptions, blocks, clearances, aerial duels won, ball recoveries and more, all per 90.

On top of that, while the former Spezia ace has seriously stepped up for the North Londoners in recent weeks, the Forest monster has been performing at a top level for the entire season and has played a key role in why they stand a brilliant chance of qualifying for the UCL next season.

Moreover, it’s been his incredible form this year which lends serious credence to the claim he’s “one of the best defenders in the PL” made by certain experts on Brazilian football.

Finally, while this isn’t massively important today, it does help that the Sao Paulo-born star is three years younger than the Tychy-born international, as that could see him coming into his prime years around the same time as Saliba and helping to further future-proof the team.

Ultimately, while he might cost a lot of money, Arsenal should do what they can to sign Murillo this summer, as he looks like he could be a mega defender a few years from now, and he’s already a better player than Kiwior.

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