Player Report: Arsenal And Manchester United To Lock Horns For Midfielder With 85% Pass Success

We are used to Arsenal and Manchester United doing battle. We have witnessed their scraps over trophies, their individual rivalries and the hatred between the players – I’m looking at you, Keane and Vieira, but this time we could see them square up to one another in regards to Juventus midfielder Claudio Marchisio, who the Metro report is a target for both clubs. After reading the reports, I thought that I would take a closer look to what the Italy international could offer.

He has played in 11 of the Turin side’s 16 Serie A games and has been influential throughout. His 16 key passes is a stat that has only been surpassed by a few team-mates with more appearances to their name and he has a reasonable 62% shot accuracy.

His individual duels need working on – he’s won less than half of his tackles and just 36% of his headers, but he has completed 85% of the passes that he has attempted.

He averages three defensive actions per outing – he has 19 interceptions, 11 clearances and a block to his name, and could prove a massive player to either club should they secure his signature.

You get the feeling that Manchester United need him more, but you can never rule out a move for someone of the 27-year-old’s quality.