From Saliba to Izzo… which of Arsenal’s defensive transfer targets are better than Mustafi?
ARSENAL fans are waiting with bated breath for the club to replace Shkodran Mustafi this summer.
A whole host of centre-backs have reportedly been lined up as the position is targeted for a revamp.
From Armando Izzo to William Saliba, Presnel Kimpembe to Djene Dakonam, there are lots of options if the Gunners have the cash.
But any signing will have to be a big improvement on Mustafi to push Arsenal back towards the Champions League.
Here, Sun Sport digs into the stats to determine whether these potential arrivals are better than the unwanted German.
ARMANDO IZZO
Torino defender Izzo was a frequent fixture in Serie A's seventh-best side last season, earning a reputation for being exceptionally hard to beat.
Only Juventus lost fewer games thanks in part to Izzo's record of conceding just 34 goals in his 37 appearances - Torino were beaten 3-2 defeat by Roma in the only match without the suspended Italian.
Compared to Mustafi, the 27-year-old earned 16 clean sheet by allowing opponents to score just 0.85 goals per 90 minutes with the Arsenal man letting in at a rate of 1.24 per 90 minutes.
Furthermore, he won 79 per cent of his tackles to Mustafi's 75 per cent.
A consistent cog in a very competent team, Izzo appears to be a steal if Torino accept the Gunners' £22.5million opening bid.
WILLIAM SALIBA
A breakout star with Ligue 1 surprise package Saint-Etienne, Saliba played most of his 16 matches towards the back-end of last season.
Finishing fourth, the French side conceded once every 142 minutes with the 18-year-old on the pitch whereas Mustafi saw the Gunners' net ripple every 73 minutes.
That defensive prowess extends to Saliba's individual figures, committing just 0.6 fouls per 90 mins to the Arsenal player's 1.5.
Backing up that stat, he only picked up a single yellow card with Mustafi getting nine - albeit in more appearances.
The 6ft 3in Saliba surprisingly suffers when it comes to aerial duels, winning 59 per cent to his rival's 66.5 percent and Saint-Etienne will command a hefty fee plus a year's loan back in France.
PRESNEL KIMPEMBE
Paris Saint-Germain are rumoured to be preparing another summer of offloading reserve players and Kimpembe is said to be up for a £30m move.
Matthijs de Ligt arriving at the Ligue 1 champions would push the Frenchman towards the exit door and Arsenal would get a very smart passer of the ball.
Opting to play it short and simple the majority of the time, Kimpembe played just 2 long balls per game last season compared to Mustafi's 3.1.
As a result, his pass completion rate sat at a whopping 93 per cent, outgunning the German's 82 percent.
And having drifted in and out of the team, the 23-year-old's record of 10 clean sheets from 24 league games comfortably beats Mustafi's 5 in 31.
DJENE DAKONAM
From catching the train to work to taking Getafe within a game of Champions League qualification, Djene has enjoyed a rags to riches story in Spanish football.
The Madrid club let in less than a goal a game en route to fifth-place and Djene racked up 12 clean sheets, beating Mustafi's 8.
There was a downside to the Togo international's game as he picked up 14 yellow cards to his counterpart's 9.
But while Djene can give it, he also took plenty of challenges and won 30 fouls for Getafe last season, three times more than Mustafi won for Arsenal.
Available for £30m, the Gunners are battling Everton for the 27-year-old.
OZAN KABAK
Arsenal fans may feel as though Mustafi was part of a struggling team last season but Kabak's Stuttgart has them beaten.
Relegated via the Bundesliga play-off, the German club are set to lose their talented Turk for as little as £13.2m.
Interestingly, his stats aren't too dissimilar to Mustafi's - keeping 7 clean sheets to 5 and committing 41 fouls to 51.
One area Kabak does better the Gunners flop is in tackle success rate, coming in at 81 percent to 75 percent.
The cheapest option on Arsenal's wish list, the 19-year-old is also wanted by former club Galatasaray and Manchester United.
JOACHIM ANDERSEN
Young Danish centre-back Andersen is another starlet emerging from one of Europe's most impressive teams.
Sampdoria once again finished in the top-half of Serie A last year as the former Twente player made his mark across 32 appearances.
He earned a reputation as an excellent passer of the ball, both short and long range, with 88 percent of his balls reaching their man - beating Mustafi's 82 percent.
Furthemore, he was only dispossessed 16 times, the German tallying 22 with a number of errors towards the end of the season costing Arsenal dear.
Interest in Andersen is high after the Tottenham Hotspur target recently admitted: “It could be time for me to further my career."
DAN-AXEL ZAGADOU
Borussia Dortmund will not want to part with France Under-20 starlet Zagadou following his breakthrough campaign - but the Gunners would have a serious upgrade on Mustafi if he does sign.
Aged only 20, the centre-back conceded a mere 0.7 fouls per 90 minutes across his 21 outings in 2018/19, much lower than the Arsenal man's 1.5.
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Like a number of the club's other targets, Zagadou possesses a strong passing game according to his 88 percent success rate with this technical ability bolstered by coming out with just a single unsuccessful dribble lat year.
On those measures, Mustafi totalled seven incomplete runs with the ball and completed 82 percent of his passes.
Reports in France believe the North London team are interested but Dortmund have the defender tied down to a three-year contract as it stands.