Juventus attacker Dejan Kulusevski is being linked with a move to the Emirates in January, as Mikel Arteta looks to strengthen his squad heading into the remainder of the season.
The Swedish international has fallen out of favour in Turin over the past couple of months, with reports circling that Juventus would be willing to let the 21-year-old leave this month.
Arsenal had been hopeful of completing a short-term loan deal for Kulusevski's teammate Arthur Melo earlier in the window, with Arteta keen to strengthen his midfield options after the departure of Ainsley Maitland-Niles to Roma on-loan, as well as Mohamed Elneny and Thomas Partey both away on international duty. But a deal for Arthur now seems unlikely.
Kulusevski, who is also strongly linked with Tottenham, can play in multiple positions such as striker, winger, attacking midfield and central midfield, making him an appealing player that could solve a number of depth issues in the Gunners' squad.
So, if Kulusevski was to make the move to Arsenal in January, what sort of impact could he have on Mikel Arteta's side?
Could the Swedish winger help Arsenal qualify for the Champions League?
We simulated the rest of the season with Kulusevski in the Gunners' squad and this is what happened.
We 'signed' Dejan Kulusevski for Arsenal in January 2022
To set up this simulation, we used the Football Manager 2022 editor to arrange for Kulusevski to join Arsenal at the start of the January 2022 transfer window, using FM22 to run the simulation.
This is how Kulusevski's in-game profile looks on FM22.
Kulusevski is one of the most promising talents in Europe at present, with his versatility and technical ability proving to be a significant draw for many clubs.
The 21-year-old impresses in a number of areas such as passing, technique, vision, dribbling, balance, stamina and pace.
Let's take a look at how Kulusevski performed throughout the second half of the 2021/22 season after signing for Arsenal in January 2022.
Kulusevski scored seven goals and registered six assists in just 23 appearances for the Gunners after signing in January.
The Sweden international averaged the highest match rating out of any player in the Gunners' squad (7.57), ahead of the likes of Bukayo Saka (7.44), Emile Smith Rowe (7.24) and Martin Odegaard (7.20).
Kulusevski's statistics averaged over a full season would see him rival Saka and Smith Rowe in terms of their goal contributions and see the 21-year-old push Gabriel Martinelli out of the starting line-up.
Kulusevski recorded the second highest pass completion rate out of any attacker at the club, showing that he can suit Arteta's possession-based play style and contribute to attacking moves whilst retaining the ball.
At the end of the 2021/22 season, Football Manager 2022 put together an overall best Arsenal XI, based on performances, statistics and other metrics.
This is what Arsenal's best XI looked like at the end of the 2021/22 season as predicted by Football Manager 2022:
Full Arsenal best XI (4-2-3-1): Ramsdale; Tomiyasu, Gabriel, White, Tierney; Partey, Xhaka; Kulusevski, Odegaard, Saka; Lacazette.
Kulusevski featured in Arsenal's best XI for the 2021/22 season, supporting Emile Smith Rowe, Bukayo Saka and Alexandre Lacazette in attack.
So, how did Arsenal perform in the league and cup competitions after signing Kulusevski in the January transfer window?
Arsenal's results from the 2021/22 simulation
Arsenal finished fourth in the Premier League in our simulated season with Kulusevski in the squad, qualifying for the Champions League for the first time since the 2015/16 season.
The Gunners finished a full 12 points behind champions Manchester City, showing that there is still a gap that needs to be filled before Arsenal can challenge for the Premier League title again, but improvements are being made in the squad and in terms of results.
Compared to last season, in our simulated season with Kulusevski at the Gunners, the club finished four league positions higher in the table, with 12 more points, but had a worse goal difference by -1.
So, how did the Gunners perform in the cup competitions?
Arsenal finished the 2021/22 season with one piece of silverware after the Gunners beat Chelsea in the Carabao Cup final to lift their third EFL Cup trophy.
Smith Rowe opened the scoring midway through the second half, quickly followed by a Romelu Lukaku equaliser, before Odegaard secured the win with an 87th minute winner.
Overall this Football Manager simulation predicts that if Arsenal were to sign Dejan Kulusevski in January, the Swedish attacker would add significant quality and attacking threat to the Gunners' squad, scoring seven goals and registering six assists in just 23 appearances in all competitions.
Kulusevski's statistics suggest if he is given a full season at the Emirates, he could be one of the best attackers at the club and in the Premier League, helping Arsenal qualify for the Champions League and bridge the gap to the top three teams in Liverpool, Man City and Chelsea.
Would you like to see Dejan Kulusevski sign for Arsenal? Let us know in the comments!
