Bukayo Saka. Arsenal’s poster boy. The younger man who followers throughout north London and the globe place their hopes on each week.
It wasn’t way back that Saka claimed the passionate supporters deserved extra. Boy has he delivered on his promise to carry the nice occasions again since that assertion.
A Premier League title might not have been claimed but however Mikel Arteta, with Saka in tow, have come mightily shut, solely shedding out by two factors final time period to Manchester Metropolis.
The membership’s quantity 7 was very a lot on the coronary heart of issues once more within the well-known crimson and white shirt. No Gunners participant scored greater than the Englishman’s 20 objectives in all competitions and no participant contributed with greater than his 14 assists.
Rio Ferdinand as soon as recommended that the winger wasn’t world-class but. Boohoo to that. Saka is among the perfect huge gamers on the market.
The difficulty is that he might do with a rival, somebody who will take away the pressure from taking part in almost each minute of a 38-game season.
So, who might they signal?
Arsenal chasing competitors for Saka
The Gunners have been making an attempt to signal one other proper winger for a while. Solid your minds again to the summer season of 2022 and you may keep in mind their alleged chase for Raphinha.
On the time, the Brazilian was taking part in for Leeds United however ended up at Barcelona. Pedro Neto was of curiosity and he nonetheless is in response to some reviews.
Nonetheless, a brand new goal on their shortlist is PSV Eindhoven attacker Johan Bakayoko. That is in response to Dutch journalist Rik Elfrink who reported earlier this week that the switch group at Colney had lodged an enquiry to ascertain the provision of the participant this summer season.
Experiences earlier this 12 months recommended that the Eredivisie membership could possibly be holding out for a price within the area of £51m for his companies.
So, what might he add to the Gunners facet?
How Bakayoko is just like Saka
Final season the 21-year-old was in glorious contact within the Netherlands, scoring 14 objectives and supplying the identical variety of assists throughout all competitions.
Bakayoko’s position on the pitch? He performed all 47 matches on the correct flank. Bakayoko’s footedness? Left. You may already begin to see the primary pillars of similarities rising.
However there have to be extra to it, proper? Nicely, with the assistance of analyst Ben Mattinson we are able to paint the total image. Talking concerning the Belgian expertise on social media, he as soon as stated that Bakayoko is “one of many profiles in Europe who’s essentially the most just like Saka.”
These are optimistic indicators certainly for a younger ahead who he additionally described as “explosive” within the remaining third.
So, what does the information say? Nicely, we have got the solutions.
Relating to their artistic play and goal-scoring they’re kind of on the identical degree, notably making a really related variety of progressive passes each 90 minutes. In reality, the way in which they get the ball up the sector is one among their most placing attributes.
A move is taken into account progressive if the space between the start line and the subsequent contact is at the least 10 meters nearer to the opponent’s objective or any accomplished move into the penalty space.
Bakayoko vs Saka: Key stats (league solely)
Stat (per 90 minutes)
Bakayoko
Saka
Objectives
0.43
0.49
Assists
0.32
0.28
Progressive carries
7.11
4.78
Progressive passes
3.50
3.89
Shot-creating actions
5.20
5.80
Profitable take-ons
3.32
1.51
Stats through FBref.
Everyone knows good Saka is in one-vs-one conditions however Bakayoko seems even higher on this regard, making an obscene variety of progressive carries each 90 minutes. For context, he ranks within the high 1% of wingers who play in leagues of the same degree to the Dutch high flight for that very statistic. He’s an elite dribbler and one who would little question match into the Arsenal group like a glove.
A carry is taken into account progressive if the ball is moved in the direction of the opponent’s objective at the least ten yards from its place to begin or is carried into the penalty space.
So, though Saka would have a rival this can be a transfer that might profit the membership’s assault extremely effectively.
Whether or not it is Kai Havertz or, dare we are saying it, Viktor Gyokeres up high, they’d thrive alongside the Belgium worldwide.
Gyokeres has been linked quite relentlessly with the membership during the last week or so with some reviews from Portugal even suggesting a £76m deal is on the verge of completion.
Signing these two gamers, subsequently, could be a dream. All you must do is think about the dazzling abilities of Bakayoko alongside the Sporting striker’s elite goalscoring abilities.
Final time period, the Swede discovered the online on 43 events. Including that degree of firepower with a scintillating ball service such because the PSV sensation could be fairly one thing.
Arsenal scored fewer objectives than Man Metropolis in 2023/24 however these two might effectively give Arteta the arsenal – pardon the pun – to lastly get the higher of his good buddy Pep Guardiola.
Associated
Arsenal struck gold on Arteta signing who’s now price greater than Gyokeres
The “magnificent” expertise is among the membership’s most vital gamers.