Arsenal’s 2-0 win over Everton before defeat in the Carabao Cup final had supporters believing: “Okay, this could be our year.”
Despite leading the Premier League for much of the season, fans are quite pessimistic about their chances this season.
Still, when Max Dauman danced past two Everton players, ran 60-odd yards and fired the ball into an empty net, it felt like a great moment.
The decisive moment in this season’s title fight was decided by a 16-year-old. As a result, the teenager became the youngest goalscorer in Premier League history. Fans will always remember where they were when Dauman scored his first Arsenal goal.
Youngest scorer in PL | |
|---|---|
player | year |
Max Dauman (Arsenal) | 16 years and 73 days |
James Vaughan (Everton) | 16 years and 270 days |
James Milner (Leeds) | 16 years and 356 days |
Wayne Rooney (Everton) | 16 years 360 days |
Rio Ngmoja (Liverpool) | 16 years and 361 days |
Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal) | 17 years and 113 days |
Michael Owen (Liverpool) | 17 years and 143 days |
Unfortunately, no matter how much potential this youngster has, he won’t be able to join the team straight away. That’s because this team is packed with quality everywhere you look.
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If last summer was about signing a great new striker, Andrea Berta’s task this time around is simply to completely strengthen the front line.
Arsenal’s defense is one of the best in Europe, but they have been a little sluggish in the attacking third of the pitch recently, and have had a number of below-average players of late.
Leandro Trossard hasn’t scored a single goal in 2026, Bukayo Saka has found the back of the net just twice since early December and Gabriel Martinelli has just one goal in 25 league appearances all season. Martin Odegaard also scored just one goal in a season marred by injuries.
As a result, the likes of Anthony Gordon and PSG’s Kviča Kvaratscheria were targeted. However, they are quite unattainable and will be taxing on the planet.
Brahim Diaz, on the other hand, did not. According to a report in Sports Boom this week, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur are two of the teams that are “serious” candidates to sign the Real Madrid forward.
Brentford and Crystal Palace have been approached for the Moroccan international who infamously missed a penalty in the AFCON final, but the Gunners are said to be preparing to make a £30m offer.
However, Madrid will only open negotiations and consider a sale if they receive a bid of around £39m.
The richest contract in Arsenal’s history
The Gunners have spent generously in recent years.
What Brahim Dias can offer Arsenal
Dias, formerly of Manchester City, has been here and there to make a name for himself at Real Madrid, but now feels he needs to leave in order to become a regular in the first team, something he achieved with AC Milan.
The attacker truly came to life during his time in Italy and was subsequently hailed as an “amazing” player by Italian football expert Mina Luzuki.
His best season at Milan was in 2022/23, when he made 45 appearances, scoring seven goals and providing eight assists, before really improving his level in his first year at Madrid.
Dias scored 12 goals and provided eight assists in the 2023/24 season, but has since found it difficult to make regular appearances at the Bernabéu.
The Spanish-born playmaker has started just six games in La Liga this season and just 16 in 2024/25. Having said that, in regular football at AFCON he showed what he can do for Morocco.
Diaz finished the tournament as the top scorer, scoring five goals in five consecutive games from the group stage to the quarterfinal match against Cameroon.
Arguably one of the best players in African football, the 26-year-old would be a great addition to the squad, but it doesn’t bode particularly well for Dauman or Ethan Nwaneri.
Brahim Diaz – AFCON Statistics | |
|---|---|
game | 7 |
the goal | 5 |
assist | 0 |
Number of shots per game | 2.7 |
Key paths per game | 0.7 |
Number of dribbles per game | 1.3 |
foul every game | 2.9 |
Pass success rate | 87.2% |
Nwaneri made his breakthrough for the Gunners last season but was quickly let go last summer when Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke joined the group.
The teenager’s hopes of success were dashed and he was eventually loaned to Marseille in January in search of a regular role in the first team.
Dauman burst onto the scene with arguably even greater style, but the truth is that the arrival of Diaz, a similar player, would not be ideal.
Sure, the 16-year-old superstar has plenty of time to make his name in the game, but the Real Madrid star plays a very similar role, whether in the center behind the striker or on the right wing.
They also have similar qualities. He has amazing dribbling speed and the ability to manipulate the ball in tight spaces.
In fact, no player in La Liga this season has scored as many penalties as Diaz per 90 minutes, but he ranks within the top 7% of players in his position in terms of chances created per 90 minutes, and within the top 12% in terms of fouls taken. Dauman has a similar trend, especially when it comes to the bottom line metrics.
So, while the young English talent may ultimately be able to learn a thing or two from the Madrid sensation, signing another attacking midfielder or right-winger would undoubtedly have a negative impact on his game time in the short term.
For now, Arsenal should focus on finding a player who can play on the left.
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