Arsenal is discussing re-signing the next Saka. He cried when he left in 2011

It’s safe to say that the summer windows started slowly for Arsenal, but for the last few days things have roamed into life for the gunners.

Mikel Arteta may not have his elusive center yet – Benjamin Sesco and Victor Gyoker will have to wait – but Andrea Berta was still busy.

The club’s new sports director has already concluded three deals – pending confirmations – backup goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga has arrived on a £5 million move from Chelsea, while Martin Zubimendi’s sign will arrive at over £50 million from Real Sociedad and Brentford Captain and Christian Norgaard.

Still, the fourth deal could soon be over with an ongoing talk about signing Valencia’s 20-year-old centre-back Christian Mosquera.

Like we said, Berta was a busy beaver, but he’s not finished yet.

Arsenal discusses to sign Premier League stars

Since becoming Arsenal Manager, Arteta has enjoyed shopping for proven Premier League talent.

Some of his most successful deals have seen the top flights in English, especially the star of Declan Rice’s Spanish Awards.

Rice could flatten with a price tag weight of £155 million, but the midfielder made that price seem like a bargain, especially after two free kicks against Real Madrid in the Champions League.

Division Golden Globe winner David Raya was also welcomed from Brentford, and in 2023/24 Arsenal’s second top scorer, Leandro Torosard, came from Brighton with 17 strikes.

Gabriel Jesus never forgot. The Brazilian has fallen on the roadside in the last two seasons, mainly due to injuries, but in the opening game of his Gunners career, the forward was electric.

The club’s No. 9, signed from Manchester City, scored five goals in his first eight league matches.

Now, in the summer of 2025, Arsenal is once again bringing attention to the Premier League with Ebeki Eze in the crosshairs.

That’s according to the Sun, who reported this week that Berta has already been in consultation with one of Eze’s representatives.

North Londoners are said to be heading straight to their fierce rivals, the Spurs, to get a deal across the line.

The Crystal Palace star has a £608 million release clause in his contract, which, according to another source, can pay for £20 million in three installments and an additional £8 million.

That same source reports that Arsenal has in fact already agreed to Eze and his camp and personal terms.

Why Eze could become Arsenal’s new Saka

Buka Yosaka is the poster boy for the Arteta Project at Emirates Stadium, and in the words of journalist Charles Watts, he is already “the best right winger in the world.”

Despite missing out on hamstring issues for most of last season, Saka still finished the campaign with 12 goals and 15 assists, breaking through the tree at the club for that second indicator.

Blessed with magical talent, creativity and the ability to produce something from nothing, Eze is cut from a very similar fabric.

Arsenal’s youth system has been highly regarded, with a wealth of talent coming through the ranks, especially over the past five to six years.

From Saka to Emile Smith Lowe, Ethan Nuwaneri and Myles Lewis Skelly, Arteta certainly has a lot to thank the Academy.

Eze was also once part of the same system, but was released in 2011 when he was only 13 years old.

After that set-off, the palace superstar heads to Fulham, Reading, Millwall and QPR, where he finally finds a home for himself. His rise since then was a meteor. He is now one of the most exciting players in the Premier League, and he is also Full England International.

That wouldn’t have been possible without an incredible mentality. I saw him overcome the adversity that was canned by Arsenal at such a young age.

In a 2020 interview, Eze commented on the situation and revealed that it made him very emotional.

In further interviews, the 26-year-old revealed how his thinking helped him overcome all the challenges.

“My dream was to play for them (Arsenal), so listening to them saying no at age 13 was tough and I remembered training after being released. I didn’t cry. I think I’ve helped me so much with other rejections.

Overcoming that, Eze has come a long way to get to where he is now. It may have been a less attractive route than Saka’s path to Stardom, but they certainly share the same mental fortitude and very similar attributes.

Often, Arsenal’s Talismanic Number 7 still has everything left to do in the final third. Players around him don’t regularly tip, but in Eze, someone with the ability to rival Martin Odegard, he will find his match.

According to FBREF’s similar player tools, Saka was determined to be one of the most like-minded players in Saka’s Premier League, along with others such as Cole Palmer, Anthony Gordon and Morgan Rogers.

Eze may not have Arsenal’s left foot, but his positional versatility is important. He mainly introduces the middle, like No. 10, but can also shine on the left side.

Saka hasn’t played much behind the striker in his career, but like Eze, he loves to find space in his middle pocket as he tries to dance his way through defense.

So, what do you say about the data?

Well, Saka is certainly more progressive and offensive when it comes to carry and overall assists, but remember that Palace isn’t a team that regularly has enough balls to Ez create at similar rates as his international colleagues.

Last season, Oliver Glasner’s men sat in 17th place in the league for average ownership, only 42.4% of the ball enjoyed. In contrast, Arsenal was in third place with 57.1% owned.

As for that evidence, Saka always produces higher numbers in the final third, but the fact that the two England stars are as close as metrics like successful take-ons, key passes, progressive passes and more suggests that Eze’s numbers could soar to new heights on teams like Arsenal, where the ball is dominant aspect.

The Eagles star may not be able to play in the same position as Saka, but he could be the right-footed version.

There are a lot of £68 million more paying this summer if you need to put a striker on the line, but considering that it’s paid in installments, this really feels like an easy thing for the gunner.

He was like Saka, and had a proven track record in the Premier League and always dreamed of playing for the club. What do you not like?