Erling Haaland's future remains uncertain heading into the summer transfer window, with Arsenal being linked with a move for the Norwegian forward.
football.london understands that the Gunners are in the market for two centre-forwards this summer, with some fans speculating that the club could bring Haaland to the Emirates if Arsenal secure Champions League football. After the departure of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to Barcelona in January, Mikel Arteta has just Eddie Nketiah and Alexandre Lacazette to call upon up front, although both players' contracts expire at the end of the season.
Borussia Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachin Watzke name dropped Arsenal when discussing the future of Haaland, referencing the move Aubameyang made from the Westfalenstadion to north London in 2018. The Norwegian striker has scored 23 goals in 23 appearances in all competitions for Dortmund this season, totalling 80 goals and 21 assists in his 82 appearances for the German outfit since signing in January 2020.
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So, if Haaland was to make a shock move to Arsenal in the summer, what sort of impact could he have at the Emirates? Could the Norwegian striker help Arsenal win silverware next season and challenge for a title alongside Manchester City and Liverpool? We simulated the 2022/23 season with Haaland in Arsenal's squad and this is what happened.
We 'signed' Erling Haaland for Arsenal in summer 2022
To set up this simulation, we used the Football Manager 2022 editor to arrange for Haaland to join Arsenal at the start of the 2022/23 season, using FM22 to run the simulation. This is what Haaland's in-game profile looks like on FM22.
The Norwegian forward has brilliant attributes across the board including his Finishing (18), First Touch (16), Composure (17), Anticipation (16), Determination (20), Pace (19), Natural Fitness (19), Strength (17), Balance (17), Off The Ball (18) and Acceleration (17). These attributes mean the 21-year-old can both hold the ball up, press from the front and run in behind, whilst remaining clinical in front of goal.
Haaland scored 27 goals in 44 appearances in all competitions for the Gunners in his debut season. With just an xG rating of 18.86, it shows how the 21-year-old turned half chances into goals, helping Arsenal earn better results throughout the season.
The Norwegian striker averaged a match rating of 7.51, higher than any other Arsenal player. This highlights the importance of Haaland's consistent and impressive performances for the Gunners.
Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe had solid seasons tallying a combined 20 goals and 20 assist between the pair of them. Martin Odegaard dropped into a deeper role alongside Thomas Partey and contributed five goals and 10 assists in his second full season at the Emirates.
New signing Ismaila Sarr had to settle for a rotation role, scoring five goals from just 10 starts. Gabriel Martinelli matched Sarr's goal tally whilst also registering six assists with the Brazilian enjoying an injury-free season.
At the end of the 2022/23 season, Football Manager 2022 put together an overall best Arsenal XI, based on performances, statistics and other metrics. This is what the Gunners' best XI looked like at the end of the 2022/23 season as predicted by Football Manager 2022.
Full Man Arsenal best XI (4-2-3-1): Ramsdale; Tomiyasu, Gabriel, White, Tierney; Odegaard, Partey; Saka, Smith Rowe, Martinelli; Haaland.
Haaland replaced Lacazette in the starting line-up and featured in the Gunners' best XI for the 2022/23 season, with Martinelli, Smith Rowe and Saka supporting the Norwegian in attack. So, how did Arsenal perform in the league and cup competitions after signing Haaland at the start of the 2022/23 season?
The Gunners finished third in the Premier League with Haaland leading the attack, 12 points behind champions Man City. Arsenal were able to leapfrog Chelsea in the table whilst also closing the gap to Liverpool and City.
Haaland's performances helped Arteta's side comfortably qualify for the Champions League and be involved in a title race for the majority of the season. Compared to the 2020/21 season, Arsenal finished five positions higher, with 15 more points and a better goal difference by +14 with Haaland in the squad.
Arsenal reached the Carabao Cup semi-finals but were knocked out on penalties to Leeds, the city where Haaland was born, after drawing 2-2 in regular time. In the FA Cup fifth round, the Gunners crashed out of the competition following a 2-1 defeat to Southampton in extra-time despite Haaland opening the scoring in the 18th minute.
Arsenal's first season back in the Champions League since the 2016/17 season ended in the round of 16. The Gunners were knocked out against Paris Saint-Germain after losing 4-2 on aggregate, with goals from Lionel Messi and Neymar at the Emirates sending Arteta's side out of the competition.
Overall, this Football Manager simulation predicts that if Arsenal were to sign Haaland ahead of the 2022/23 season, the 21-year-old could improve Arsenal's league performance, closing the gap to Liverpool and City in the table, but defensive reinforcements would be required if the Gunners were to challenge for the title throughout the full season. The 21-year-old's impressive goal scoring record in his debut season wasn't enough to see Arsenal win any silverware following disappointing defeats to Leeds and Southampton in the Carabao Cup and FA Cup.
Would you like to see Erling Haaland sign for Arsenal? Let us know in the comments!
