Priority target: Arsenal eyeing £60m “monster”, he could force Saka into a new role.

Arsenal supporters entered 2024 with little optimism, despite the club leading the Premier League on Christmas Day.

The Emirates Stadium has emitted an atmosphere of positivity for the past eighteen months. An invigorated club has been enveloped in radiant positivism since the arrival of Mikel Arteta.However, just as the New Year commenced its gloomy and wintery ascent, the Gunners withdrew. Before last weekend’s 5-0 victory over Crystal Palace, they had suffered three consecutive defeats in which they had failed to score a single goal.

 

Arsenal had abruptly fallen to fourth place. They were and continue to be title contenders this season, but Arteta did not intend for them to be in fourth place once more.

 

The transfer window was relatively quiet prior to those results, primarily because targets such as £100 million-rated Douglas Luiz and £80 million-valued Ivan Toney were affixed to enormous transfer fees.Edu et al. are seeking Toney’s services, and the player has previously expressed interest in joining a “big club.”

 

However, where might they supplement? However, Bukayo Saka is primarily in need of leisure and competition.

 

This clarifies connections to Pedro Neto. Wednesday’s Football Transfers report indicated that the Gunners will prioritize the Wolves sensation during the upcoming transfer window.What then does the future entail? We should take a peek.

 

The summer recruitment objectives of Arsenal

There is a prevailing suspicion that Arsenal will once again invest heavily in the summer. While it might not attain the exorbitant levels of the £105 million they spent on Declan Rice, considering the aforementioned valuations, it could potentially approach that amount.The north Londoners have reportedly been monitoring Neto for several months. However, their initial interest in the young winger traces back to the summer of 2022, when David Ornstein disclosed that they had considered him for a transfer.

 

The implications of Neto’s acquisition for Saka

Undoubtedly, the poster boy for Arsenal requires some relaxation. In August, Saka matched the record of 82 consecutive Premier League matches set by Paul Merson for Arsenal.That is an absurd quantity of football for a youthful individual, but it speaks volumes about his significance in N5.

 

He is their star performer, and they seek him out whenever they require a dash of excellence. The journalist Charles Watts referred to him as “the best right winger in the world” in 2023. He was among the candidates for the Ballon d’Or in 2023 and concluded the previous season as Arsenal’s leading scorer with 15 goals.

 

Then again, why would Arsenal want to acquire a competitor for Saka? In order to allow him to recuperate and possibly utilize him in an alternative capacity.

 

Although the England international made his debut as a left back, he has also been utilized on the left wing and has occasionally appeared in the center.Although it may initially appear to be an absurd suggestion, Saka provides a substantial amount of value beyond the right-hand side.

 

Recall a near-post triumphant finish you achieved against Bournemouth several years ago. Observe below. Saka was effective both centrally and on the left flank, where he appeared seven times in his career but was nonetheless lethal.This would provide an opportunity for Arsenal to utilize Neto as an additional creative option.The Bukayo The career of Saka by position held

 

The position

 

Games (A)

 

The Objectives

 

Provision of aid

 

Left wing

 

77

 

23

 

21

 

Departure midfield

 

64

 

21

 

20

 

Proper midfielder

 

56

 

18

 

16

 

Left-back position

 

22

 

1

 

5

 

Laurel wing

 

13

 

3

 

3

 

The midfield center

 

7

 

1

 

1

 

In the center, forward

 

1

 

0

 

0

 

Information transmitted via Transfermarkt.

 

Gabriel Martinelli struggled until last weekend, when he scored two goals against Palace to double his league total for the season. Therefore, it was possible that Saka could be shifted elsewhere on the field if Arteta possessed the necessary depth.Ben Mattinson, an analyst, characterized him as a “transitional monster” and he has performed magnificently in the Premier League this season. In 2023/24, only Mo Salah and Ollie Watkins (8) have accumulated more premier assists than Neto’s seven.

 

Pedro Neto vs. Bukayo Saka: 2023/24 Season

 

Value (in 90 minutes)

 

Saka

 

Neto

 

The Objectives

 

0.31

 

0.09

 

Provision of aid

 

0.31

 

0.64

 

Achieve Passage Success

 

76%

 

73%

 

Passwords for The Keys

 

2.78

 

2.57

 

Transfers to the penalty area

 

1.96

 

1.93

 

Passive Progressives

 

3.61

 

3.12

 

Methods of Creating Shots

 

5.81

 

4.39

 

Attempts at taking on

 

4.18

 

4.59

 

Carries

 

39.6

 

30.6

 

Progressive Weights

 

4.85

 

5.14

 

Statistics provided by FBref.Without a doubt, Arsenal have had no difficulty creating opportunities this season. They had 61 shots in their three losses preceding the new year, but in 32 Premier League games in 2020/21, they utilized a Neto player capable of scoring goals as well, tallying five and assisting on six.

 

Although not precisely prolific, that is promising considering he was just starting out as a teenager at the time.Ever since then, the Portuguese has been sidelined by injuries despite being undeniably an exceptionally gifted athlete.

 

Arsenal has been yearning for competition for Saka ever since they aggressively pursued Raphinha in 2022. Although he transferred to Barcelona, Neto may prove to be the solution.It is advantageous for Arsenal’s opportunity generation, their squad depth, Saka’s versatility, and fatigue. The situation is win-win.