Arsenal are closing in on a €25m deal for Bologna’s Aaron Hickey, a player who seems to be the perfect fit for Mikel Arteta’s squad in North London.
The 19-year-old Scot has proven himself to be an exciting and talented full back this season under Sinisa Mihajlovic, scoring five goals and providing one assist in 34 Serie A appearances this season. He seems ready for the jump to a big club in the summer, joining Kieran Tierney and Andy Robertson in the list of skilled Scottish full backs.
Hickey appears to be a strong fit for Arteta’s squad, able to play as both a left and right back in a back four. He’d be an incredibly reliable backup option for Tierney, who has struggled with injuries this season, and the stats show that he’d easily bring enough to the table to justify a starting spot in the Premier League.
Hickey completes 33.8 passes per 90 minutes on average, only a little below Tierney’s 42.4. His work is usually a little less progressive than his Arsenal counterpart’s, 1.62 progressive pass p/90 to 3.57, but he makes up for that with significantly better defensive numbers. Hickey wins 0.69 tackles p/90, successfully applies pressure 3.53 times p/90 and makes 2.01 blocks p/90. In comparison, Tierney’s numbers are 0.56 p/90, 2.30 p/90 and 1.64 p/90 respectively.
Considering that Arsenal often find themselves stretched a little thin in the full back department, especially when considering Takehiro Tomiyasu’s injury troubles, Hickey would be an incredibly smart signing by the North London side.
