Arsenal line up big move for “Europe’s best player”

Edu is gone, so is Arsenal’s title bid. However, amid the Gunners’ 7-1 win over PSV Eindhoven last week and the arrival of new sporting director, Andrea Berta, the future looks brighter again.

It’s safe to say that the Londoners haven’t got things right in recent transfer windows but they will hope that Berta, aged 53, can take their recruitment to the next level with Mikel Arteta in tow.

First on the agenda for the Italian will be fixing Arsenal’s problems in the final third with the addition of a fancy new centre-forward.

Alexander Isak, valued at a ridiculous £150m by Newcastle, seems out of reach, so they may have to settle for Benjamin Sesko instead.

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We say settle, but Sesko would be a mighty fine acquisition too having scored 17 goals in 35 outings for RB Leipzig this season.

Still, Berta shouldn’t just have his eye on a new centre forward…

Arsenal’s dream first signings under Berta

It goes without saying that Isak would tick every box imaginable. Sesko would be a solid alternative while reports have emerged this week that Berta holds a similar admiration for Wolves’ Matheus Cunha as Arsenal do.

RB Leipzig's Benjamin Sesko before taking a penalty

The Premier League’s second-placed side sniffed around the Brazilian in January but he went on to pen new terms at Molineux instead, just as Sesko did last summer.

A striker is the number one priority but the club should also be looking to strengthen out wide. According to new reports, they could do just that over the summer transfer window.

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Indeed, as per Caught Offside, Arsenal are one of a number of English clubs lining up a move for Barcelona winger Raphinha and are said to be closely monitoring his progress in the final months of the campaign.

The Brazilian has long been a target for Arteta with Arsenal coming close to luring him away from Leeds back in June 2022 with a bid being submitted. Instead, his dream club in Barcelona came calling and he has been there ever since.

Newcastle, Liverpool and Manchester United are also looking at the wide man with the league leaders notably on the lookout for a Mohamed Salah heir.

Why Arsenal must do everything to sign Raphinha

In the words of Sky Sports’ Dougie Critchley, Raphinha has “been Europe’s best player in 24/25”. It’s incredibly hard to dispute that fact.

Capable of playing off Bukayo Saka’s favoured right-hand side, behind the striker and off the left, it’s in that role where the 28-year-old has thrived for Barca this term.

Throughout 40 matches in all competitions, the dazzling winger has scored 25 goals and supplied a staggering 18 assists. He’s averaged a goal involvement every 75 minutes of football.

In LaLiga, he has scored 13 times, making him the 21st highest-scoring player in Europe’s top five leagues, while his league assist count of nine is bettered by only five other forwards; Salah, Saka, Florian Wirtz, Lamine Yamal and Omar Marmoush. He’s certainly in fine company.

Meanwhile, throughout those top five divisions on the continent, only Villarreal’s Alex Baena (77) has registered more key passes than Raphinha (74).

So, having actually trounced Isak for goal contributions this term – the Swede has 22 goals and five assists – there is an argument to suggest he would be a better signing.

Why? Well, you can make a case to suggest that Arsenal’s lack of goals this term is a creativity problem. Only Saka – who has spent the last three months out injured – has posted more than eight assists and he has 13.

Assessing the numbers behind Arsenal’s creation and specifically, Martin Odegaard’s output this term, it’s evident someone like Raphinha could be the extra spice Arteta needs to win the title next season.

Odegaard: 2023/24 vs 2024/25 PL stats
Stat (per 90)	24/25	23/24
Assists	0.2	0.3
Key passes	2.4	3
Big chances created	0.4	0.5
Accurate crosses	0.7	0.9
Crossing accuracy %	18.2%	39%
Arsenal’s attack: 2023/24 vs 2024/25
Stat (* = per 90 mins)	24/25	23/24
Goals *	1.90	2.4
Expected goals (xG) *	1.56	2.00
Shots on target *	4.9	6.0
Big chances missed *	1.9	1.7
Goal-creating actions *	3.18	4.0
Key passes *	11.0	13.5
Stats via FBref and Sofascore.

Comparing last season to this, the difference is incredibly concerning. Arsenal do have a problem with finding the net but it’s largely because they’re not providing as many key passes to their forwards and subsequently, not producing as many goal-creating actions.

Isak wouldn’t help that part but Raphinha certainly would. He’d give Arteta’s side an abundance of creativity from either flank while boasting the ability to score goals too.

It would cost a pretty penny, of course, but it would be less than Isak and they’d be signing someone with better overall numbers in 2024/25. It’s a win-win for new director, Berta.