In stark distinction to the final worldwide break, there’s a actually nice ambiance round Arsenal in the mean time.
As an alternative of going into a protracted break on the again of a disastrous defeat at Anfield, the Gunners sit considerably increased up within the Premier League desk due to a customary win in opposition to West Ham United and Chelsea’s last-minute purpose to grab all three factors from Liverpool.
There’s additionally speak of Emirates’ capability being expanded within the not-too-distant future, and in even higher information, David Raya will reportedly obtain a pay rise to replicate his significance to the staff.
The Spaniard deserves a brand new contract, however he isn’t the one participant in Mikel Arteta’s squad who wants a brand new deal.
Why Raya deserves a elevate
Curiously, stories concerning Raya’s new fee phrases point out that his contract contains an possibility yr, however it’s clear that this new contract doesn’t really improve the usual variety of years the Spaniard can stay on the membership.
This may increasingly sound fairly unusual to some, and there is definitely an argument to be made that it’s, however there are a number of the reason why this wage might rise greater than is sensible.
Firstly, in contrast to when the previous Brentford ace first signed and there was a component of doubt as to who can be the membership’s beginning goalkeeper between him and Aaron Ramsdale, he’s now clearly one of many first names on the staff sheet.
So it is sensible that his wage displays his true significance to the staff. The £100,000-a-week he was incomes earlier than these new contracts was lower than 14 different gamers, together with Mikel Merino, Gabriel Martinelli and Noni Madueke.
Secondly, along with beginning many of the staff’s matches, the 30-year-old is arguably top-of-the-line gamers in his place within the Premier League, if not Europe.
For instance, he gained the league’s Golden Glove Award in each of the previous two seasons, and in line with FBref, he ranks within the prime 4% of keepers in Europe’s prime 5 leagues in cross prevention fee, prime 7% in clear sheet proportion, and prime 8% in save proportion, all inside the 90% vary.
Lastly, from a purely social standpoint, it retains him glad and exhibits different gamers that constant outcomes shall be rewarded, which in flip helps foster a greater ambiance.
Raya’s scouting report | ||
|---|---|---|
statistics | round 90 | percentile |
Variety of targets in opposition to | 0.78 | High 2% |
Anticipated targets after shot | 0.92 | High 4% |
Cross cease fee % | 12.5% | High 4% |
clear sheet | 0.39 | High 7% |
No-go fee | 39.2% | High 7% |
save fee | 76.2% | High 8% |
Def. Motion outdoors the pen. space | 1.78 | High 10% |
cross cease | 1.25 | High 14% |
All stats through FBref | ||
That being mentioned, there’s one other participant on the staff who deserves the identical therapy.
Arsenal stars deserve a pay rise like Raya
The great factor for Arteta and Arsenal is that there aren’t many gamers within the squad who can at present declare to be underpaid after a lot of new contracts have been agreed in the summertime.
Nonetheless, there’s one consultant participant who could make that declare. Julian Timber is a participant who deserves, if not a brand new contract, then a minimum of a pay rise.
Sure, the previous Ajax star, who joined the membership in the summertime of 2023 for round £38m, might be the participant most deserving of a brand new deal in the mean time, and stories this month recommend he might quickly get one.
Being a right-back and never having the tendency to fly ahead like Trent Alexander-Arnold or Jermaine Frimpong means the Dutchman does not all the time get the popularity he deserves from throughout the footballing world.
However the 24-year-old has been excellent since recovering from the ACL harm that sidelined him for many of the 23/24 season, and his performances this season have made him more and more tough to miss.
Like Declan Rice in midfield or Bukayo Saka on the wing, this monster defender hardly ever, if ever, performs lower than 7/10, and infrequently performs higher.
Within the phrases of Arsenal podcaster Adam Keyes, he’s a “dementor of wingers” due to his nice foresight, soccer IQ and unbelievable bodily capacity. However he has additionally improved his attacking play, notably this season, and his efficiency in opposition to Newcastle United was arguably his finest attacking efficiency since becoming a member of the membership.
Unsurprisingly, the Utrecht-born large’s underlying numbers this season have greater than backed up the attention check, proving he has reached a stage that few different full-backs can obtain.
In accordance with FBref, he ranks within the prime 2% of Premier League full-backs for precise and anticipated non-penalty targets, shot-producing actions, progressive passes and tackles, prime 7% for whole pictures and passes accomplished, and prime 11% for touches contained in the opposition penalty space, all within the 90s.
Timber scout report | ||
|---|---|---|
statistics | round 90 | percentile |
the purpose | 0.34 | High 2% |
Objective + Help | 0.52 | High 2% |
non-penalty purpose | 0.34 | High 2% |
xG: Anticipated variety of targets | 0.31 | High 2% |
npxG: Non-penalty xG | 0.31 | High 2% |
progressive path | 6.38 | High 2% |
Variety of pictures on the right track | 0.86 | High 2% |
Go into the penalty space | 2.07 | High 2% |
by ball | 0.86 | High 2% |
Actions that create pictures | 3.28 | High 2% |
SCA (shot) | 0.69 | High 2% |
GCA (shot) | 0.17 | High 2% |
GCA (foul draw) | 0.17 | High 2% |
sort out win | 2.41 | High 2% |
Deal with (third grade) | 1.55 | High 2% |
Deal with (as much as third) | 1.03 | High 2% |
Tkl+you | 5.34 | High 2% |
Contact (Att third) | October twenty third | High 2% |
penalty kick victory | 0.17 | High 2% |
All stats for the 25/26 PL season (through FBref) | ||
On the finish of the day, it is exhausting to agree with revered analyst Ben Mattinson’s declare that Timber is “top-of-the-line signings of the Emirates period” when you think about all elements.
So, like Raya, he too wants a elevate as quickly as potential, or ideally a brand new contract altogether.
