WITH Arsenal having reportedly been offered Mauro Icardi in return for skipper Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in a shock swap deal with Inter Milan, SunSport examine how the two strikers compare.
Reports in Italy suggest the two forwards could be set to trade places but how do their 2019/20 season stats hold up against one another?
Gunners leader Aubameyang has played 32 matches in all competitions so far this campaign – appearing just once more than 27-year-old Argentina striker Icardi.
Incredibly, Icardi – who is on loan at Paris Saint-Germain from Inter Milan – and Gabon international Aubameyang have both bagged exactly 20 goals.
However, while on average it takes over three halves of football for Aubameyang to find the net, his potential replacement Icardi needs just over a full game at 98 minutes per goal this season.
Although the two are fairly evenly matched, Icardi comes out on top for assists, shot conversion rate and passing accuracy.
Aubameyang has fired off 80 shots on goal to Icardi’s 54 but the Gunners man is the more wayward out of the forward pair as his shot conversion rate stands at just 25 per cent compared to Icardi’s impressive 37 per cent.
It’s not all doom and gloom for ex Borussia Dortmund ace Aubameyang as despite only assisting one goal he has created 26 chances to Icardi’s 23.
Tuttosport claim Icardi may be offered to Arsenal in exchange for Aubameyang as his parent club Inter Milan look to add to their striking resources.
Icardi is unlikely to be welcomed back to Milan after being stripped of the captaincy last year over disputes around his £170,000 a week salary before he was shipped out to PSG on loan.
Both Icardi and Aubameyang’s contracts expire in 2021 and if Inter boss Antonio Conte decides against having the Argentine back, the stats would suggest a straight swap might not be such a bad deal for the Gunners.
However, one person who will have a say in the matter is Icardi’s wife and agent Wanda Nara – who recently posted a sexy lockdown snap.
The stunning couple are not afraid of controversy after Wanda left ex-husband and father of her children Maxi Lopez for his then team-mate Icardi.
Icardi’s future in Paris also seems to have been affected by Wanda with rumours her outspoken comments caused his deal to be cut short.
