Why Arsenal should avoid signing Juventus forward Sebastian Giovinco

Juventus’ Giovinco (R)

The Premier League is Arsenal’s for the taking, providing they avoid their traditional second semester hiccups. However, with recent injury worries at the forefront of Arsene Wenger’s decision making process, the club could look to expand its numbers before the end of the winter window. The Frenchman’s lack of attacking depth has become a well-documented affair following the loss of Theo Walcott and the London outfit should be looking to reinforce this area of the squad, if any.

Reports emerging from Italy suggest that Arsenal have held preliminary talks with Juventus over a potential loan move for 26-year-old Sebastian Giovinco. According to The Metro, the Italian international has been on Wenger’s radar for some time and having featured just once in Juve’s last nine matches – with only two starts all season – he will be keen to boost his playing time with the Summer’s World Cup drawing ever nearer.

Known as the Atomic Ant, Giovinco would, in many ways, represent a direct replacement for the injured Walcott. He is adept across the entirety of attacking midfield and is more than capable of playing as a second striker. Due to his small frame he is more efficient out wide than as a leading frontman and at just 1.64m he is forced to utilise his pace and technical ability, as opposed to brute strength, in order to outwit opposition defenders.

This highlights the main concern that Arsenal could face in this deal, as such a small player is likely to struggle with the brutality of the Premier League, especially when playing as an out-and-out striker. Giovinco is accustomed to playing alongside a forward partner for both Italy and Juventus and he would be noticeably ineffective if played up-top on his own.

Of course, Giovinco would act as good cover for Wenger’s current options, but the real worry behind losing Theo Walcott is his ability to put in a shift as a leading striker. With youngster Serge Gnabry impressing and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain on the verge of full fitness, it’s unlikely that Wenger will target another winger and the squad is already bursting to the brim with creative talent in the centre of midfield.

The Frenchman’s sole concern will be to secure the services of a goal scorer this window, with Olivier Giroud –9 goals in 19 matches – proving the club’s only consistent frontman for the duration of the current season. Unfortunately, I cannot see Giovinco fulfilling this role with a great deal of success.

Sebastian Giovinco Shot Map (Shot Accuracy 88%)

With just one goal scored, Giovinco has struggled to make an impact even when handed opportunities in the first-team this season and although he has hit the target with 88% of his shots, his conversion rate of 12.5% will win him no awards.

Given the fantastic service the Italian has received from the midfield genius of Juventus, his goal tally is particularly poor and it is hard to imagine he will do much to improve this total in the Premier League.

Even last season, following a consistent run of games for Juventus, he only managed seven goals in 31 appearances – with a conversion rate of 10.1% his composure in front of goal is often lacking. Ideally, Wenger would like a striker capable of challenging Giroud for a first team place, yet Giovinco seems unlikely to provide much of a test.

His credentials when holding up the ball, as the lead man in Arsenal’s 4-2-3-1 formation, will also come into question. He lacks physical strength and having created just five chances his suitability for this role is debatable. At 1.92m Giroud offers a huge presence in attack and he has already created 22 chances with five assists during the 2013/14 campaign.

The aerial balls won by the Frenchman are also of great importance to Wenger’s tactics – he has won 82, to date – and it seems Giovinco would prove redundant if deployed in this role. The Italian is impaired in the air due to his size and he has failed to win a single headed duel this season.

As a lone striker Giovinco would really struggle, yet he is not good enough to break into the first team’s attacking-midfield. Even on a loan deal it is likely there are better options available to Arsene Wenger. I feel Giovinco would be surplus to requirements based on Arsenal’s current squad and its needs and, for now, the Gunners would be better off looking elsewhere.