Arsenal have endured an intriguing Premier League season so far this year, as despite two terrible losses last week, they are still just five points off Liverpool in first and level on points with Manchester City in third.
The poor finishing of Mikel Arteta's frontline has monopolised much of the discussion around their middling form of late, but another area that could perhaps be improved upon is midfield.
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Kai Havertz was signed in the summer to replace the departing Granit Xhaka, and while the German has looked better in recent weeks, he hasn't set the world alight.
With that in mind, the former Chelsea man should be worried about losing his place to the latest player touted for a move to the Emirates: Barcelona's Pedri.
Arsenal transfer news – Pedri
According to reports from Spain, Arsenal are interested in signing Barcelona's incredibly exciting wonderkid in 2024.
While this might have sounded like nothing more than a pipe dream a year or so ago, the report has revealed that the Catalan club are currently weighing up the possibility of selling the youngster this year due to his frequent injury issues and their constant financial worries.
This new willingness to entertain the idea of selling Pedri could mean he leaves for a considerably lower fee than his obscene €1bn – £863m – release clause.
With this in mind, the most significant barrier to the Gunners completing this deal could be the interest of fellow title chasers, Manchester City.
How Pedri compares to Kai Havertz
Now, as mentioned earlier, Havertz has started to look more comfortable in his new role at the Emirates and has now scored five goals and provided one assist for the club in all competitions, yet, he still doesn't look convincing.
Described as an "illusion" and "not good enough to play at Arsenal" by talkSPORT personality Rory Jennings, it's hard to see the German keeping up his goalscoring form for the Gunners, and so it might make sense for Arteta to replace him with Pedri if this deal can happen.
The young Spaniard has time on his side, coming in almost four years younger than Havertz, and while the Arsenal midfielder has been effective over the last month or so, Pedri is certainly a more pleasing player when it comes to the eye test.
However, how do the pair stack up when looking at their underlying numbers? Well, perhaps unsurprisingly, it is the "exceptional" Barça man, as described by U23 scout Antonio Mango, who comes out on top.
The 21-year-old is leaps and bounds ahead of Havertz when it comes to non-penalty expected goals and assists, progressive passes and carries, shot-creating actions and successful take-ons, indicating the creative threat he can pose in the centre of the park.
Stats per 90
Pedri
Havertz
Non-Penalty Expected Goals + Assists
0.60
0.35
Progressive Carries
3.09
1.46
Progressive Passes
8.53
4.00
Shots on Target
0.44
0.23
Passing Accuracy
86.1%
81.0%
Shot-Creating Actions
4.71
2.07
Successful Take-Ons
1.32
0.54
All Stats via FBref for the 2023/24 Domestic Season
Equally, while the current Arsenal man has begun to find a place for himself in that advanced midfield berth, he has typically lined up in a more attacking role in his career to date, while Pedri, by contrast, is arguably more of a natural fit in that position.
Ultimately, if Arteta can get this deal over the line, he should. As improved as Havertz has been in recent weeks, the opportunity to sign one of "Europe's best young players", as described by journalist Sam Dean, doesn't come around every day.