Arsenal want £120k-p/w ace who’d make Saka better

While there is still every chance that Arsenal can turn around their current form and finally win the Premier League this season, that is starting to feel more and more of a distant possibility with every passing game.

Mikel Arteta’s side have been almost faultless for the last two seasons, but so far this year, injuries, suspensions, and a blunt attack have seen them fall off the pace in the league and face the prospect of elimination from the League Cup at the hands of Newcastle United.

However, despite how gloomy things might look at this current moment, the Gunners remain a sensational football team, and with players such as Martin Odegaard, William Saliba, Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka, there is every chance they will come back stronger next season and finally haul themselves over the finishing line.

bukayo-saka-mikel-arteta-arsenal-premier-league

In fact, if recent reports are to be believed, the club’s number one transfer target for the summer could be just the player to help them do that, a player so sublime that he’d help the irrepressible Saka reach another level as well.

Arsenal chase dream teammate for Saka

According to a recent report from former Man United and Blackburn chief scout Mick Brown via Football Insider, Arsenal have maintained their significant interest in Newcastle United star Alexander Isak.

Brown goes a step further, revealing that the Gunners have identified the Swedish goal machine as their “first choice” striker target for the summer window.

Moreover, while Brown explains the Toon’s desire to keep the former Real Sociedad star beyond the summer, he claims that the North Londoners are “determined” to bring him to the Emirates.

If Arteta and Co get their man, it’ll cost a pretty penny, with reports from earlier this month claiming his price tag could be as high as £150m.

Now, while that is undoubtedly an extraordinary amount of money for a single player, it could prove worth it given his sensational ability, especially as he could help Saka reach another level entirely.

How Isak would make Saka better

Okay, so while there are likely a myriad of reasons why Isak could help Saka reach another level, from how he trains to his attitude on the pitch and in the dressing room, there is one primary reason: his output.

Simply put, the “world-class” marksman, as dubbed by manager Eddie Howe, is such an incredibly dangerous player in front of, or practically anywhere near, the goal that he’d undoubtedly send the Englishman’s numbers to the moon.

For example, just this season alone, the Swedish “nightmare,” as dubbed by Alan Shearer, has racked up an outrageous tally of 15 goals and four assists in 22 appearances, which equates to an absurd average of a goal involvement every 1.15 games.

Isak vs Havertz vs Jesus 24/25
Player	Isak	Havertz	Jesus
Appearances	22	26	26
Goals	15	12	7
Assists	4	3	2
Goal Involvements Per Match	0.86	0.57	0.34
All Stats via Transfermarkt

In contrast, Kai Havertz has done reasonably well in racking up a haul of 12 goals and three assists in 26 appearances, while Gabriel Jesus has been less effective, racking up seven goals and two assists in as many appearances.

Now, while neither of these returns are abysmal, they aren’t spectacular either, and at an average of a goal involvement every 1.73 games for Havertz and every 2.88 games for Jesus, neither one is remotely close to what the Solna-born superstar is capable of.

Moreover, the Gunners’ strikers were able to achieve their level of output with a significant helping hand from Saka, who, prior to his hamstring injury, was on fire, racking up a world-class haul of nine goals and 13 assists in 24 appearances, equating to an average of a goal involvement every 1.09 games.

Just imagine what the Newcastle star would be capable of playing alongside a winger as productive and creative as the Hale Ender, and then you may understand why we think it would be a partnership that would see both players reach stratospheric heights.

Ultimately, signing Isak in the summer will cost Arsenal an arm and a leg, but given just how deadly he has been this season and the potential of how much better he could be with the likes of Saka and Odegaard around him, it may just be worth breaking the bank for him.