Arsenal tracking Dominic Calvert-Lewin & Ollie Watkins as replacements for Alexandre Lacazette

Calvert-Lewin & Watkins on Arsenal radar as Lacazette replacements

Arsenal look set to continue their squad refreshment programme next summer when Alexandre Lacazette expectedly leaves the club on a free deal, and the Premier League duo of Dominic Calvert-Lewin & Ollie Watkins have popped up on radar.

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Lacazette has long been expected to leave the Emirates, and has recently been linked with being used as a makeweight for Arsenal to make a play at Sevilla’s Youssef En-Nesyri.

According to Mail Online, the club also made considerable attempts to sign Tammy Abraham to replace the Lyon-native before his eventual move to AS Roma from Premier League rivals Chelsea.

LONDON, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 08: Alexandre Lacazette of Arsenal reacts after a missed chance during the Premier League match between Arsenal and Aston Villa at Emirates Stadium on November 08, 2020 in London, England. Sporting stadiums around the UK remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)

With Arsenal looking to finally build a full squad in the combined image of Mikel Arteta and Edu Gaspar, England international pair Dominic Calvert-Lewin & Ollie Watkins could be ideal candidates to fit the overall balanced options in the number 9 role under the Spaniard.

How does the England pair stack up against current striking options at the Emirates?

One of the final missing pieces in the jigsaw puzzle for Mikel Arteta and Edu Gaspar has been filling the center-forward role for the long-term.

Arsenal’s French striker Alexandre Lacazette celebrates scoring their third goal during the English Premier League football match between West Bromwich Albion and Arsenal at The Hawthorns stadium in West Bromwich, central England, on January 2, 2021. (Photo by Rui Vieira / POOL / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or ‘live’ services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo by RUI VIEIRA/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

With both Alexandre Lacazette and club captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang on the wrong side of 30 and expected to leave after the conclusions of their current deals, finding a suitable replacement – or dare I say, an upgrade – on the striker duo is paramount for the long-term project taking shape at London Colney.

Though Lacazette has proven to be a good finisher by the data while being a good focal point in the forward line, he still has not been able to pull the numbers that many were hoping to see from him after his arrival from Olympique Lyonnais in 2017.

LONDON, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 11: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of Arsenal celebrates after scoring their side’s first goal during the Premier League match between Arsenal and Norwich City at Emirates Stadium on September 11, 2021 in London, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)

By contrast, Aubameyang has hit the goalscoring heights expected from the poacher given his goal return on display at Borussia Dortmund. Ten goals in thirteen league appearances after his highly publicized move in January of 2018 was an excellent start to his stint at Arsenal.

Back-to-back 22-goal seasons in the Premier League is exactly what the doctor ordered, but a mere ten in twenty-nine last term was well off the mark, and less than Lacazette’s total of thirteen. And for all the goals scored, the tactical balance and correct fit has never truly been seen with Auba leading the line.

Could Dominic Calvert-Lewin or Ollie Watkins fair any better at Arsenal? Here is what the data tells us. You decide.