The transfer window is just around the corner, and it looks set to be a big one for Arsenal.
While Mikel Arteta’s side have had to contend with a torrent of injuries this year, it’s still become increasingly clear that they do not have the attacking options at their disposal to get over the line.
For example, the only player to reach double digits for goals and assists in the squad this year has been Bukayo Saka, who’s done so despite missing almost four months of action with a hamstring injury.
So, with this in mind, it’s hardly a surprise to see the North Londoners being linked to so many talented attackers in recent weeks, including one who has won the Premier League in the past and even been compared to Saka.
Arsenal's winger search
While the priority for Arsenal this summer will likely remain a new centre-forward, the club have still been linked with a plethora of talented wide players, such as Nico Williams and Rayan Cherki.
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The former has a release clause of £48m in his current deal, which doesn’t seem too steep considering he’s still just 22 years old and has managed to rack up a tally of 11 goals and seven assists in 44 games this year.
However, Cherki could be even cheaper, with some reports claiming he could be available for just £30m, which would be a steal, as in just 43 games this season, the young Frenchman has scored 12 goals and provided 19 assists.
Yet, if the club want to go all out on a superstar striker this summer, they might have to go for a genuine bargain on the wing, someone like Leroy Sané.
According to a recent report from Football Insider, Arsenal have maintained their interest in the Bayern Munich star, and, alongside Chelsea, are currently the frontrunners to secure his signature.
While the competition from the Blues is far from ideal, the good news is that the £245k-per-week star wouldn’t cost anything in transfer fees, thanks to his current deal expiring in the summer.
It might still be a complicated transfer to get over the line, but Arsenal should do what they can to bring Sané to the Emirates, as he would add some real quality to the attack, and he’s even won comparisons to Saka in the past.
How Sané compares to Saka
So, before we get into some of the other reasons Arsenal should be looking to sign Sané this summer, let’s examine this comparison to Saka and where it comes from.
Well, in this instance, it comes from FBref, which compared players in similar positions at last summer’s European Championships and concluded that the Englishman was the third most similar attacking midfielder or winger to the German in the entire competition.
We can better understand their similarities by looking at some of the underlying metrics in which they rank closely, including but not limited to expected assists, progressive passes, passing accuracy, shot and goal-creating actions and more, all per 90.
Expected Assists
0.09
0.11
Progressive Passes
3.04
3.57
Passing Accuracy
83.8%
83.8%
Shot-Creating Actions
3.03
3.30
Goal-Creating Actions
0.43
0.47
Successful Take-Ons
2.17
2.00
However, on top of their statistical similarities, they are also both predominantly right-sided, left-footed players who have played and thrived under Arteta’s coaching, with the German spending several years with him at City.
Aside from the similarities to their best player, though, why should the Gunners bring the Bayern star this summer?
Well, first and foremost, while he has spent plenty of time off the right, he’s just as capable on the left, meaning he could provide some genuine competition to both Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard next season on top of being able to rotate with others in the side.
Moreover, even though he’s closer to the end than the start of his career, the “world-class” international, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has still been seriously effective this term, racking up 13 goals and six assists in 44 appearances, totalling 2348 minutes.
That means the former Premier League winner is currently averaging a goal involvement every 2.31 games, or every 123.57 minutes, which is undoubtedly the sort of output that would give the North Londoners a serious boost.
Ultimately, Arsenal should be going all out to sign Sané this summer, as not only does he share some key similarities with Saka, but he remains a productive attacker and, best of all, he’d be free.
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