Arsenal submit bid for £45m superstar & it’s not Madueke

For a club who have a reputation for moving slowly in the transfer window, the last few weeks have been quite unusual for Arsenal.

In fact, things seem to be changing daily, with the board appearing to do their best to support Mikel Arteta’s side ahead of what could be a make-or-break campaign next season.

For example, in addition to Martin Zubimendi and Kepa Arizabalaga, the Gunners are set to announce the signing of Christian Norgaard and appear to be incredibly close to securing the services of the prolific Viktor Gyokeres.

However, not every potential deal has been met with universal excitement, with rumours surrounding Noni Madueke going down like a lead balloon in large sections of the fanbase.

Fortunately, Arsenal appear to be closing in on another, far more popular deal for someone who’d be a dream ten for Bukayo Saka.

Arsenal closing in on a better signing than Madueke

Reports linking Arsenal with Madueke started to pop up midway through last month, but it’s really been in the previous week or two that they’ve become impossible to ignore.

In fact, it was earlier this week that the Chelsea ace reportedly agreed to personal terms, and then yesterday evening it was revealed that the Gunners had submitted an offer worth £50m for him.

There is no doubt that the Englishman is talented, but with the fee and the fact he’s another player from the Blues, it would be fair to say that the fans haven’t been on board, with journalist Sam Dean asking if there has ever been a response to another potential signing quite like this.

Fortunately, the club to seem to be advancing on a deal for another Premier League star, someone that will be a far more popular addition to the team: Eberechi Eze.

At least that is according to a recent report from journalist Sebastien Vidal, who has claimed that Arsenal are “stepping up their pursuit” of the Crystal Palace star.

Furthermore, he’s revealed that the Gunners have already submitted an offer worth around £45m “plus performance-related bonuses” for the England international, although it remains to be seen if the Eagles will accept it.

It’s likely to be a complicated and costly transfer to get over the line, but Eze has proven he’d be worth it, especially as he’d be a dream ten for Saka.

Why Eze woud be Saka’s dream ten

The first and most crucial reason Eze would be a dream ten for Saka at Arsenal is the simple fact that, over the last few seasons, he has developed into a lean, mean output machine.

For example, in 36 appearances across the 23/24 season, totalling 2285 minutes, he scored 11 goals and provided six assists, which comes out to a goal involvement every 2.11 games, or every 134.41 minutes.

Then, last season, he did even better, scoring 14 goals and providing 11 assists in 43 appearances, totalling 3,303 minutes, which comes out to an average of a goal or assist every 1.72 games, or every 132.12 minutes.

Eze recent form
Season	23/24	24/25
Appearances	36	43
Minutes	2285′	3303′
Goals	11	14
Assists	6	11
Goal Involvements per Match	0.47	0.58
Minutes per Goal Involvement	134.41′	132.12′
All Stats via Transfermarkt

In contrast, Martin Odegaard was only able to score six goals and provide 12 assists in 45 appearances, totalling 3447 minutes, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 2.5 games, or every 191.5 minutes.

Just imagine how much more effective the Gunners’ talismanic number seven could be playing alongside the Palace “superstar,” as respected analyst Ben Mattinson dubbed him.

Moreover, with the game-winning goal in the FA Cup final last season, alongside strikes in the semi-finals and quarter-finals, the 27-year-old has proven himself to be a man for the big occasion, or, as one analyst put it, “a player born for magical European nights.”

Finally, away from purely football arguments and things that are measurable, it seems like there is a genuine friendship between the two players.

In fact, some reports from earlier this summer claimed that the Hale Ender was pushing for the former QPR star to make the move to the Emirates, and while it’s hard to quantify what this connection actually means for them on a football pitch, it can only be a good thing.

Moreover, with both of them regulars in the England squad, they’d have even more time to learn each other’s game and further solidify what could be a tremendously exciting partnership.

Ultimately, Arsenal should do everything they can to sign Eze this summer, as not only would he be an excellent addition to the squad through his own ability, but he could be just the player to help Saka reach another level as well.