There were plenty of reasons why Arsenal’s campaign went so awry last season, from poor form to questionable refereeing decisions early on.
However, arguably the biggest problem was injuries, specifically to the frontline and, most crucially, to Bukayo Saka.
The Hale End icon is Mikel Arteta’s talisman, and even though he missed almost four months of action, he still managed to rack up a haul of 12 goals and 14 assists in 37 games, so just imagine how much better the team would’ve fared had he remained fit.
So, to seriously improve the squad, Andrea Berta and Co need to sign someone who can be as impactful as Saka this summer, and the good news is that it looks like they are.
Arsenal close in on big-money transfer
While some were justifiably concerned earlier in the window due to the club’s lack of business last year, this summer’s transfer window is shaping up to be something quite special for Arsenal.
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Martin Zubimendi, Kepa Arrizabalaga and Christian Norgaard have already been announced and are taking part in training, while Noni Madueke has passed his medical and Christian Mosquera was due to have his yesterday.
On top of that, links to Crystal Palace’s incredible Eberechi Eze refuse to go away, and now it looks like the North Londoners are closing in on a star who could emulate Saka in the top half of the pitch.
At least that is according to a recent report from Portugal, which has claimed that Arsenal are on the verge of signing Viktor Gyokeres.
In fact, the report has revealed that after seeing several offers rebuffed by Sporting CP, the Gunners have now reached a full agreement to sign the player.
Sporting president, Frederico Varandas, had been holding up the deal in recent days, largely because he was not satisfied with the nature of the add-ons Arsenal were proposing as part of the move. Well, the report now notes there is a full agreement on those add-ons, with the Gunners set to pay €63m (£55m) in cash with a series of easy-to-meet bonuses that could increase the fee by another €10m (8.6m).
As a result, the player has been permitted to undergo a medical and will travel to London to have one on Friday, meaning he can join up with the squad ahead of the pre-season trip to Singapore at the weekend.
It’s a lot of money to spend on one player, but Gyokeres has proven his worth over the last two years, and he could end up being Arteta’s new Saka.
Why Gyokeres could emulate Saka at Arsenal
Okay, first things first: yes, Gyokeres and Saka play in totally different positions and, honestly, are quite different in their play styles.
However, when we say that the former could be Arteta’s new version of the latter, we aren’t thinking about that; instead, it is more about the overall impact they can both have on the attack.
It’s safe to say that the Hale Ender, who was able to amass 26 goal involvements for the Gunners last season, has been carrying the Arsenal attack on his back for the last few years.
He’s the star of the team and he’s the main man. However, Gyokeres was even more prolific in front of goal last season and has the potential to emulate Saka, becoming their new Saka-like star player in the process.
Indeed, in his 52 appearances, totalling 4248 minutes, for the Lisbon side, the 27-year-old “powerhouse,” as dubbed by respected analyst Ben Mattinson, scored an unreal 54 goals and provided 13 assists.
That means the Sporting superstar maintained an out-of-this-world average of 1.28 goal involvements per game, or one every 63.40 minutes.
Appearances
50
52
Minutes
4169′
4248′
Goals
43
54
Assists
15
13
Goal Involvements per Match
1.16
1.28
Minutes per Goal Involvement
71.87′
63.40′
The former Coventry City star was almost as dangerous in the 2023/24 campaign as well, scoring 43 goals and providing 15 assists in 50 appearances, totalling 4,169 minutes, which came out to a 1.16 goal involvements per game, or one every 71.87 minutes.
Now, those numbers will come down in the Premier League, but even if he only manages to hit 50% of what he did last season next year, Arteta and Co will be laughing.
Moreover, it means Saka would no longer have to carry the majority of the attacking burden, which could in turn help him reach yet another level.
Ultimately, we aren’t saying Gyokeres is a similar player to the England ace, but due to his otherworldly level of output, he could become as important to Arsenal’s attack.
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