He expects Arsenal to move: Edu could now sign Saka's dream transfer in £102m "nightmare"

It was another year of painful almosts for Arsenal this season, as they missed out on the Premier League title on the final day and were knocked out of the Champions League quarter-finals by a single goal.
However, Mikel Arteta's side have come on leaps and bounds in the last few years, and it's starting to feel more like when, rather than if, they finally lift a major trophy.

bukayo-saka-arsenal-transfer-arteta-edu-wenger-joel-campbell
That said, adding a genuinely clinical striker this summer would go a long way toward speeding things up, and based on recent reports, that may well happen, which can only be good news for Bukayo Saka.

Arsenal's striker search
According to a recent report from Italian publication La Gazzetta dello Sport, Napoli's star striker Victor Osimhen 'expects' Arsenal to make a move for him this summer.

victor-osimhen-napoli-serie-a
The report has revealed that while fellow Premier League side Chelsea have ruled themselves out of the race for the Nigerian's signature, the Gunners have maintained a presence 'in the background', leading to the player's belief that they will eventually make a move for him.

If the North Londoners make said move, they will have to pay €120m to activate the forward's release clause, which converts to around £102m.

Arsenal-Isak-Gyokeres-Osimhen-Zirkzee-Sesko
It would be a costly deal, but with the margins so close this year, it might be worth it, as adding a clinical number nine can only help make Saka even better.

How Osimhen could improve Saka
Now, if Arsenal are going to spend north of £100m on a new striker this summer, they have to be certain that they are getting an upgrade on the two they already employ - Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus - and it looks like they would be. In fact, when comparing the trio's pure output from the last two seasons, it's not even close.

For example, despite enduring a slightly less fruitful campaign by his own lofty standards this year, the "Nigerian nightmare", as dubbed by U23 scout Antonio Mango, returned a mammoth 57 goals and assists in 71 games since the start of 2022/23.

In the same period, Havertz returned 31 in 98 games, whereas Jesus managed 34 in 69, and while these are impressive numbers in their own right, they don't hold a candle to what the former LOSC Lille star managed.

Osimhen vs Havertz vs Jesus

22/23

Osimhen

Havertz

Jesus

Appearances

39

47

33

Goals

31

9

11

Assists

5

1

7

Goal Involvements per Match

0.92

0.21

0.54

23/24

Osimhen

Havertz

Jesus

Appearances

32

51

36

Goals

17

14

8

Assists

4

7

8

Goal Involvements per Match

0.65

0.41

0.44

All Stats via Transfermarkt

His impressive ability to consistently find the back of the net while also providing a reasonable number of assists is why his addition to the side could help Saka reach an entirely new level next season.

The Hale End superstar cemented his status as one of the best players in the country this year by racking up a staggering 20 goals and 14 assists in just 47 games for the Gunners.

Saka's sensational season

Appearances

47

Minutes

3865'

Goals

20

Assists

14

Goal Involvements per Match

0.72

Minutes per Goal Involvement

113'

All Stats via Transfermarkt

However, according to Understat, the English international should've chalked up more assists this season, as he underperformed his expected assists figure by 3.33.

This isn't a failing on the winger's part. Instead, it is indicative of his teammate's failure to finish off their chances, which could well become a problem of the past with the "frightening" Napoli ace in the side, as dubbed by journalist Emmet Gates.

Napoli star Victor Osimhen
Even if he missed a sitter one moment, he'd almost certainly make up for it later on in the game, thus helping Saka further increase his assist tally.

Ultimately, it would be an incredibly expensive deal to complete, but bringing Osimhen to the Emirates this summer could be the final piece of the puzzle that turns Arsenal from also-rans into title winners.

Post a Comment

0 Comments