It's no secret that Arsenal have made an attacking signing their No1 priority in this most crucial of transfer windows.

After missing out on the top four and a place in next season's Champions League , the Gunners are keen to put that right with a statement signing signalling they are serious about competing at the top of the Premier League, which has led them to move to Alexandre Lacazette.

A signing up front has taken on extra significance with Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil - who both have just 12 months remaining on their current deals - depart the Emirates for pastures new.

And among the many rumours swirling around, two attacking options have been heavily linked to the north London club.

Arsenal are likely to be priced out of a move for Kylian Mbappe (
Image:
REUTERS)

Monaco wonderkid Kylian Mbappe is the hottest property on the market currently, and Arsenal have had a £87m bid rejected . With Real Madrid leading the chase, it's unlikely the Gunners will stump up the eye-watering £120m he's valued at.

As a result, Lyon's goal machine Alexandre Lacazette has stepped forward to be the man most likely to join Arsene Wenger's men - potentially with Olivier Giroud going in the opposite direction.

But a move for Alexandre Lacazette is a distinct possibility for the Gunners (
Image:
AFP/Getty)

But who would be the smart choice to be leading the line at the Emirates come the start of the season?

We've crunched the numbers to see the stats which could well be influencing Wenger's thinking in his pursuit.

Olivier Giroud could be on the move after five years at the Emirates (
Image:
Reuters)

Handily, since Giroud joined Arsenal in 2012, the two have played exactly the same amount of games (164) giving us a fair comparison of their key stats.

Lacazette vs Giroud - win rate since August 2012

52%

Lacazette

57%

Giroud

Opta

The Arsenal man edges this one, despite Lyon often finishing in the top four like Giroud's current club.

Lacazette 0-1 Giroud

Lacazette vs Giroud - goals since August 2012

Opta

Lacazette is the big, big winner here - notching a whopping 94 goals to Giroud's 69 since 2012. If the Gunners want more goals, Lacazette seems a smart choice.

Lacazette 1-1 Giroud

Lacazette vs Giroud - assists since August 2012

Opta

Giroud's benefit to the Arsenal team can often be seen in his hold-up play and assist rate, so unsurprisingly he pips Lacazette here, although not by much - Giroud's haul of 23 assists is only better than his counterpart's by four.

Lacazette 1-2 Giroud

Lacazette vs Giroud - minutes per goal since August 2012

142.7

Lacazette

157.8

Giroud

Opta

Owing to his superior return in front of goal, Lacazette nails this - taking an average of 15 minutes less to find the back of the net compared to Giroud.

Lacazette 2-2 Giroud

Lacazette vs Giroud - total shots since August 2012

Opta

Giroud may have taken more shots (429) than Lacazette (396), but the Lyon man is clearly more efficient at that end of the pitch.

Lacazette 3-2 Giroud

Lacazette vs Giroud - shooting accuracy since August 2012

Lacazette

58.4%

Giroud

48.3%

Opta

And here's the proof: Lacazette's shooting accuracy is a shade over 10% better than his France teammate's.

Lacazette 4-2 Giroud

So there you have it, Arsenal fans. It's a close run battle, but if you're looking for goals to get yourself back in the top four next season, it may be an idea to freshen things up in the shape of one Alexandre Lacazette.

At least Giroud wins in the handsome stakes, eh?

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