Arsenal plan talks to sign £55m Ballon d’Or nominee

While they look set to finish second in the Premier League for the third season on the bounce, Arsenal can at least take solace in the fact that they’ve got one of the very best wingers in the competition in Bukayo Saka.

Despite missing almost four months of football following his hamstring injury against Crystal Palace in December, the Hale End superstar has still racked up a sensational tally of six goals and 11 assists in 21 league games this term and a total of 25 goal involvements in 31 games across all competitions.

It wouldn’t be hyperbolic to describe the Englishman as the club’s best player, and when it comes to the league overall, some might place just Mohamed Salah ahead of him when it comes to wingers, as, after all, the Egyptian King has amassed a haul of 56 goal involvements in 48 games this year.

So, fans should be incredibly excited about recent reports that have linked the club with an international star who’s won comparisons to both Saka and Salah this season.

Arsenal’s plan to sign a new winger

With Arsenal scoring 17 goals fewer than Liverpool so far in the league this year, it’s no secret that the area of the team most in need of improving is the attack, so links to players such as Nico Williams have hardly been surprising.

The Spanish international has a release clause worth around £50m in his current contract with Athletic Bilbao, and considering he’s still just 22 years old and has already racked up a tally of 11 goals and seven assists in just 43 appearances this year, that could prove to be good value.

A more experienced and potentially even more exciting attacker the Gunners are reportedly keen to sign this summer is Viktor Gyokeres.

The Swedish international could join the North Londoners for around £69m, which may well be a bargain price, as in just 48 appearances this term, he has scored 52 goals and provided 12 assists.

However, given his playstyle and position, he’s understandably not won comparisons to Saka or Salah, unlike Ademola Lookman.

Yes, according to a recent report from Caught Offside, Arsenal are one of several sides incredibly keen on the Nigerian superstar.

In fact, alongside the Gunners, Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Newcastle United plan to talk with the player’s representatives, while Barcelona and Juventus have already made contact.

Unfortunately, the incredible level of competition is not the only potential barrier Arsenal will have to contend with, as Atalanta reportedly value their star at up to €65m, which is about £55m.

It could be a complicated and costly transfer to get over the line, but given Lookman has had a “monster year” in the words of broadcaster Maximiliano Bretos and was nominated for the Ballon d’Or in 2024, it’s one that would be worth fighting for.

How Lookman compares to Saka & Salah

Before we look at some of the other reasons Arsenal may want to sign Lookman, it’s worth examining these comparisons to Saka and Salah and where they come from.

In this case, both comparisons stem from FBref, which looks at players in similar positions in Europe’s top five leagues, the Champions League and Europa League, before creating a list of the ten most comparable players.

By doing this, it has been concluded that the Englishman is the second most similar attacking midfielder or winger to the Nigerian, and the Egyptian comes in as the sixth most similar.

The best way to see how this is worked out is by taking a look at the underlying metrics in which the trio rank, including but not limited to shots and shots on target, goals per shot on target, carries, passing accuracy, live passes and more, all per 90.

However, it’s not just his statistical similarities to the two Premier League stars that make the former Everton ace such an appealing target, as on top of his positional versatility, he’s an output machine.

For example, in just 37 appearances this season, totalling 2658 minutes, the “super” attacker, as dubbed by manager Gian Piero Gasperini, has scored 18 goals and provided seven assists.

That means he is currently averaging a goal involvement every 1.48 games or every 106.32 minutes, which is the sort of output that could help the North Londoners close the gap on Liverpool next year.

Ultimately, while it could be a complicated transfer to get over the line, Arsenal should do all they can to sign Lookman, as he could be a real difference-maker at the Emirates.

Related

A better signing than Gyokeres: Arsenal keen on landing the “new Haaland”

Arsenal are on the hunt to bolster their forward line this summer.