Arsenal wants to sign the £70 million star, “England’s best winger”

Arsenal may have recognized the Premier League this season, but 2024/25 was not a complete amortization as far as Mikel Arteta is concerned.

For European gunners, it was the story of Europe’s arrival, competing in the Champions League semi-finals against PSG after being dumped by Bayern Munich a year ago.

Whether Arsenal wins the continental premier competition or not, their stock in the global game rose this year after beating Real Madrid.

A lot of things get keen on the idea of ​​playing for a club, and a lot of things get keen on playing alongside a certain Bukayosaka, which is Madrid’s suffering.

Saka’s Arsenal returns to numbers

Stress levels around Emirates Stadium increased significantly when Saka collapsed in December with a hamstring injury to Crystal Palace.

Up until that point, this was a player, earning perhaps the best season of his career, scoring nine goals and registering 14 assists in all competitions.

Since his injury, the gunners have been watching the team’s shadow. Of course, that was not helped by further injuries to Gabriel Martinelli, Gabriel Jesus and Kai Herberts.

Still, Saka’s absence felt the most difficult, even if Ethan Nuwaneri had a major impact.

Well, the British are back now, and despite playing only 183 minutes on five league outings, he went back from hell.

The wide forward scored within minutes of his comeback with Fulham, then turned into a dazzling shape over both feet against Madrid.

Saka regularly bets David Alaba in a 3-0 victory with the Emirates, then recovered by scoring Arsenal’s first goal of the night, latching to a clever pass from Mikel Merino to defeat Tibaut Cotezia.

That being said, despite Martinelli’s return to form, they must sign the winger on the left, despite their opposition to Madrid and Ipswich.

Arsenal’s hope to sign a new winger this summer

Many new forwards have been linked to the club over the past few weeks. Nico Williams of Athletic Bilbao is a name he refuses to leave while it is reportedly a talk with Kingsley Coman camp to see if a summer move is possible.

Then there’s Rafina in Barcelona. Called “the best player in the world” by a single data-driven analyst this season, Arsenal is said to be able to sign this summer for around £80 million if the player wants to leave.

But given his status as a Barondoor or competitor, it would be surprising to see him leave Campnoo. So let’s join Borussia Dortmund’s Jamie Gittens.

According to journalist Graeme Bailey, Chelsea put the English winger at the top of the transfer wish list this summer, but will mostly face competition with Arsenal.

It has been reported that gunners have been interested in players that cost around £700 million this summer, with Rafina’s lower price than the aforementioned price.

How Jamie Gittens compares to Bukayo Saka

Saka has been wreaking havoc from the right with Arsenal shirts for a long time, but the left side of the front line was a bit of a problem.

We all know the qualities Martinelli can bring to this Arsenal team on his day, but he has been an inconsistent figure over the past two years and has struggled to endure the 15-goal campaign in 2022/23.

In 2023/24 he found the net in just eight times, scoring nine goals this time. As for Leandro Trossard, he did Bag 17 last season, but he only scored 10 in 50 appearances.

So whether it’s Williams, Rafinha or Giten, Arteta needs another wide player. Gitens could be his man.

He is celebrated by the German media as “England’s next superstar” and is considered Dougie Critchley, who is considered Sky Sports’ “England’s best winger on 2024/25”.

He is “electric” in the words of data analyst Ben Matinson, scoring 12 goals and supplying five assists in every sport he has played.

Like Saka, he is a scorer, but the main difference between the two is that Gitens has not yet proven himself as a creative outlet. Yet, many similarities can be drawn in many other areas.

When evaluating numbers, it is clear here that Saka is the very main creator of the two. That being said, both are “carry-first” attackers.

They love to ride the ball, evidenced by the fact that both average similar carry numbers per 90 minutes. It averages a lesser, but more progressive carry by Gitens, operating on the more direct Dortmund side.

As the aforementioned Matinson evades, he is “unpredictable in 1V1” and has “a nice ability” so he either makes a cross or gets shot with both feet.

It is very similar to Saka, who has been much more proficient to his right over the past few years. He can not only cut inside, but also defeat you on the outside. That’s the Gitens’ purpose.

So, the 20-year-old still has a lot to do, but it’s not every day that he can sign such an exciting talent for English. He’ll be Saka’s great foil on the left side of Arsenal’s three-string attack.