Who is Arsen Zakharyan? The talented teen set for Chelsea

 

Chelsea may have struggled to land top targets for the senior squad this summer, but the future is still bright for the Blues. That's because the west London side have spent big on bringing in the best young talents across Europe, and further afield, as they prepare for the future. Carney Chukwuemeka, Gabriel Slonina, Omari Hutchinson and Cesare Casadei have all joined from Aston Villa, Arsenal, Chicago Fire and Inter, respectively, with Slonina remaining on loan with the MLS side until the end of the 2022 season. 

 

The teenage quartet are set to be joined by another youngster before the close of the transfer window. Dinamo Moscow's Arsen Zakharyan may not be a household name in England, but it won't be long before Chelsea fans are scrambling to see more of the 19-year-old. Whereas Chukwuemeka, Hutchinson and Casadei may have struggled for regular minutes with their former senior sides, Zakharyan has featured frequently in the Dinamo first team after his breakthrough 2020/21 campaign. 

 

What quickly stands out about Zakharyan is his eye for a pass. It's a quality that does belie his tender years, with the young attacker making more key passes (80) than any other player since the start of the 2021/22 Russian Premier League season, all the while ranking seventh for clear-cut chances created (8) over that period. Usually, this would be a metric topped by a seasoned pro, yet Zakharyan has put his vision to exceptional use and while it hasn't always paid off - he does have just eight assists to show for his efforts - this says more about his teammates' profligacy than his ability to create chances. And if a pass isn't on? Then Zakharyan isn't one to shirk the chance to go for goal himself, especially from distance. Only Daniil Utkin (8) has scored more goals from outside of the box than the Dinamo midfielder (5) since the start of the 2021/22 campaign to reinforce a statistically calculated WhoScored strength of 'long shots'.  

 

There is a versatility to his game that has helped thrust him into the limelight. Zakharyan is a better performer playing through the the middle, but having also been deployed on the wing, this has helped boost his profile. This enables Zakharyan to come inside of the left or right flank - he has been deployed in both roles since the start of last season - and maximise the ball carrying side to his game. 

 

A dribble success rate of 57.7% since the start of 2021/22 is commendable, a return that actually rises to 62.5% when he starts through the middle. There is work to be done to improve this side to his game, yet at his age, Zakharyan will develop in time with the right coaching. Considering the desire to have central midfielders progress the ball, that the success rate increases when starting in the middle of the park is a positive for Thomas Tuchel considering his intention to continue with a three-man backline. 

 

 

While Zakharyan is unlikely to immediately come into the first team fold following his impending arrival from Dinamo, Tuchel will take some comfort in being able to call upon another central midfielder to plug gaps in the senior squad if required. And it's not as though Zakharyan will merely be used to pry open defences, though this is his biggest strength. The Russian is prepared to work hard off the ball to aid the team as noted in that he has made 53 tackles since the 2021/22 Russian Premier League campaign kicked off, that ranking 16th in the division, all the while winning possession in the midfield third 96 times, that also ranking 16th in Russia's top tier over the same period. 

 

For a Chelsea side that is resolute in the middle of the park on its day, but does lack creativity from deep, Zakharyan certainly has the potential to plug this gap in the long-term, provided of course he is handed the opportunity to prove his worth for the Blues. There is, of course, work to be done to improve his overall game, but this is to be expected of a player so young. Zakharyan may have proven an effective ball winner, yet there remain some doubts over his work off the ball, notably his timing of the challenge, with the Russia international committing 44 fouls since the start of last season, all the while receiving eight yellow cards and one red. 

 

Conversely, the battling side to his game is one that would sit well with Chelsea fans as they seek to add bite as well as creativity to a midfield that does need rejuvenation. The youngsters Chelsea have signed this summer will help the overhaul of the club's academy as part of their 'Vision 2030' plan, yet with ample first team experience already, surely it won't be long before Zakharyan is a regular feature for the senior side.

Who is Arsen Zakharyan? The talented teen set for Chelsea