Arsenal set sights on £87m ‘generational talent’ signing

After six years of tough progress, Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal feel they have the potential to get over the line and win the Premier League this season.

The Spaniard has assembled a squad of talented players, from the back of Gabriel Magalhães, William Saliba and Julian Timber to the midfield players of Martin Odegaard, Martin Zvimendi and Declan Rice.

However, one player who has been with him throughout this journey and has become the club’s talisman and the face of the project is Bukayo Saka.

Hale Ender could end up being one of the club’s best ever players, and if reports are to be believed, Arsenal may just be eyeing another wide star who could become Arteta’s next Saka.

Arsenal aim for next Saka

The first half of this season has been strange for Saka. Despite being generally Arsenal’s best or second-best attacker, he hasn’t put up the numbers fans would expect.

That said, a return of seven goals and six assists in 26 games would be considered an impressive level of performance for most attackers.

But supporters, and by extension his manager, know he has the potential to be even better. Because even though he was out for months last season, the Englishman had a sensational record, making 37 appearances and being involved in 26 goals in just 2,619 minutes in total.

It feels like a matter of when or not if the 24-year-old returns to that world-class level, but with the club eyeing another potential Saka-like talent for Arteta, there could be some extra competition when he does.

At least that’s according to a recent report in the Mirror, which claims Arsenal are interested in Yann Diomande.

The report revealed that the RB Leipzig star is a player the Gunners are currently ‘monitoring’ ahead of a ‘possible summer transfer’.

However, the 19-year-old is expected to leave the German team at the end of the season, with an old report from The Athletic claiming that Andrea Berta and co could have to pay €100m, or around £87m, for his services.

It could therefore be a complex and expensive deal to get done, but given Diomande’s immense ability and potential, Arsenal should fight for him, especially as he could be Arteta’s next footballer.

Why Diomande could be Arsenal’s next Saka

The first reason why Diomande could be Arteta’s, and Arsenal’s, next Saka, is the simple fact that he is a very promising young winger, just like the volatile No. 7 ever was.

But more than that, the Ivory Coast international is a promising winger who has already made his mark in terms of goals and assists.

For example, the player, described by journalist Bence Boxark as a “generational talent”, has already registered seven goals and four assists in 16 games this season, playing just 1,041 minutes in total.

This means he’s involved in a goal on average every 1.45 games, or every 94.63 minutes, which would be incredible for a veteran, let alone a 19-year-old.

Furthermore, like the Gunners’ marquee player, the Leipzig gem displayed an incredible level of versatility, playing on both the right and left wing for the club.

The Abidjan-born Dynamo has already established himself as a key member of the Ivory Coast national team, just as Saka was with England when he was younger.

Finally, just as the Three Lions star backs up his development with impressive underlying numbers, so too does the teenage prodigy.

For example, FBref ranks him in the top 1% of attacking midfielders and wingers in Europe’s top five leagues for successful take-ons and ball recoveries, in the top 2% for interceptions, and in the top 3% for non-penalty goals and progressive carries, all with 90 points.

These figures, like Arteta’s talisman, highlight that the youngster remains a great player, but also willing to help do the dirty work.

After all, it will be a lot of money to spend on a player so young, but Arsenal should do everything they can to sign Diomande, who could be Arteta’s next footballer.