Arsenal's summer started relatively slowly this year, with no genuine additions to the first team beyond the signing of David Raya on a permanent deal, although things have changed in the last week or so.
First, Mikel Arteta finally announced the signing of Riccardo Calafiori from Bologna, and now it appears that the signing of Spanish international Mikel Merino could be announced within a matter of days.
However, Edu Gaspar and Co are clearly not finished there.
Recent reports have touted another experienced international to move to the Emirates, and interestingly, they could be an ideal rival for Merino.
Arsenal transfer news
According to a recent report by the Italian publication La Gazzetta dello Sport, Arsenal are one of several clubs in 'pole position' to sign Adrien Rabiot this summer.
The report claims that with the Frenchman now a free agent, he is evaluating his options, and while he'd like to move to England or Spain, Champions League football is essential.
The report names the Gunners and Liverpool as the two Premier League sides in serious contention to secure his signature thanks to their involvement in Europe's top competition next season, while Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid stand in good stead in La Liga.
It remains to be seen whether Arsenal can really break away from the pack and bring Rabiot to the Emirates this summer. While he can bring some baggage, his quality is undeniable, and he'd be an excellent rival for Merino in central midfield.
How Rabiot compares to Merino
Now, before we dive into their underlying numbers, let's compare the pair's raw output from last season.
In his 45 appearances for Real Sociedad, Merino scored eight goals and provided five assists, meaning he averaged a goal involvement every 3.46 games, which really is quite an impressive rate of return for a central midfielder.
In comparison, Rabiot scored five goals and provided three assists for Juventus in 35 appearances, meaning he maintained a slightly less impressive average of a goal involvement every 4.37 games, although that's still not an average that should concern fans.
So, what do their underlying numbers look like? Is there a clear winner when we compare the two? Well, no, not really.
For example, the Spaniard emerges victorious in numerous metrics such as progressive passes, shots, passes into the penalty area, shot and goal-creating actions, tackles won, and aerial duels won, all per 90.
Non-Penalty Expected Goals + Assists
0.25
0.23
Progressive Passes
4.08
6.10
Progressive Carries
2.45
0.92
Shots
1.23
1.35
Shots on Target
0.51
0.50
Passing Accuracy
82.2%
76.5%
Passes into the Penalty Area
0.78
1.07
Key Passes
0.88
0.84
Crosses into the Penalty Area
0.34
0.12
Shot-Creating Actions
2.17
2.52
Goal-Creating Actions
0.17
0.26
Tackles Won
1.25
1.48
Interceptions
0.99
0.63
Aerial Duels Won
1.84
5.98
However, the 6 foot 4 French "monster," as dubbed by football writer Robin Bairner, comes out ahead in a handful of other metrics, including non-penalty expected goals plus assists, progressive carries, shots on target, passing accuracy, key passes, passes and crosses in the penalty area, and interceptions, also all per 90.
Ultimately, when you look at what's going on under the hood, there just isn't much separating the pair, and to be honest, that's probably a good thing for Arsenal if they are planning to sign both of them, as their battle for a place in the team should hopefully push both to reach another level and help Arteta finally topple Manchester City.
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