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It’s not been the perfect start to the season for Arsenal, but it’s been pretty close.

With seven games played, Mikel Arteta’s side sit atop the Premier League table, one point ahead of Liverpool.

In the Champions League, the Gunners have won both of their opening games without conceding a goal, and eased through the Third Round of the League Cup with a heavily rotated side.

What makes this start all the more impressive is the fact that neither Bukayo Saka nor Viktor Gyokeres are firing on all cylinders just yet, and are actually being outperformed by a player sold by the club for next to nothing.

Saka & Gyokeres' starts to the season

Starting with Saka, it has already been an eventful season for the Englishman. As early as his second start of the season, at home to Leeds United, he was forced off with another hamstring injury.

Where Are They Now

Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast’s Where Are They Now series.

Fortunately, it wasn’t anywhere near as severe as the injury that had seen him miss large parts of last season, and after missing the games against Athletic Club, Liverpool, and Nottingham Forest, he returned in the second half of the match against Manchester City.

Since then, the Hale Ender has clearly been trying to get back up to speed, and while they may well take a little longer, he’s still been an effective threat on the right-hand side.

For example, while he scored the penalty, he probably should have racked up a few assists against West Ham United, as he amassed an expected assists figure of 1.11, created one big chance and played two key passes.

Given his performances and output over the last few years, it’s surely just a matter of time before Saka is racking up goal involvements for fun this season.

However, when it comes to Gyokeres, rightly or wrongly, there are a few more doubts over how impactful he could be this year.

Now, to his credit, the former Sporting CP star has already found the back of the net three times in seven league appearances, but the last one of his goals came against Forest, which was six appearances ago.

Yet, while this isn’t ideal, the Swede has been slowly improving game by game, by making better runs, holding the ball better, and, crucially, pulling opposition defenders away from his teammates.

In all, while neither attacker is at their very best at the moment, they’re getting there, although they are being outperformed by a winger sold almost a decade ago.

The ex-Arsenal ace outperforming Saka & Gyokeres

Unfortunately, there are more than a few ex-Arsenal players who have gone on to thrive after leaving the club over the last decade or so, just like Serge Gnabry.

The German international joined the Gunners from Stuttgart in July 2011, but was sold to Werder Bremen for just £5m five years later, with just 18 first-team appearances and a failed loan to West Bromwich Albion to show for his time in England.

It took no time at all for the youngster to prove the North Londoners wrong, as he ended his first season back in Germany with 13 goal involvements in 27 appearances, which was enough to earn a move to Bayern Munich.

The German giants sent the dynamic winger on loan to Hoffenheim the following season, where he racked up 17 goal involvements in 26 appearances, which was enough to see him given a chance in Bavaria in 18/19.

The 30-year-old seized that chance with both hands, scoring 13 goals and providing eight assists in 42 appearances, totalling 2544 minutes, which translates to a goal involvement every other game, or every 121.14 minutes.

Since then, the Stuttgart-born game-changer has produced 162 goal involvements in 295 games for FC Hollywood and earned 53 senior caps for Germany, in which he’s scored 23 goals and provided nine assists.

With numbers like this, and a trophy cabinet few in the game can match, it’s hard to disagree with talent scout Jacek Kulig’s assertion that he’s “one of the best wingers in World football.”

Games

10

7

10

Minutes

598

428′

752′

Goals

3

3

3

Assists

4

0

0

There is also no sign of him slowing down, as in ten appearances this season, he has scored three goals and provided four assists.

Ultimately, while hindsight is always 20-20, Arsenal must surely regret selling Gnabry, as he could still be a significant part of Arteta’s team today if they hadn’t.

Not Eze: Arteta can fix Odegaard blow with Arsenal gem who's "like Wilshere"

Martin Odegaard faces another period out injured but Mikel Arteta has a solution lined up at Arsenal.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Oct 6, 2025

Rangers’ centre-forward options at Ibrox are set to undergo a mass overhaul during the final few days of this transfer window.

On Friday, Hamza Igamane’s departure was made official, joining Ligue 1 side LOSC Lille for £10.4m, leaving under a bit of a black cloud, having refused to come off the bench during last Sunday’s 1-1 draw with St Mirren, at least according to under-fire manager Russell Martin.

Meantime, Cyriel Dessers has been heavily linked with a move away all throughout the summer, with AEK Athens the club who’ve shown the strongest interest.

For now, the Nigerian remains a Rangers player, but he is a doubt ahead of Sunday’s Old Firm derby at Ibrox, so Danilo is expected to lead the line against Celtic.

However, ahead of that game, could the Light Blues sign not one but two new centre-forwards?

Rangers' search for new strikers

As has been widely reported, Rangers are set to sign striker Bojan Miovski from Girona for around £2.6m, potentially rising to £4.2m.

The North Macedonian international underwent a medical in France on Friday, with the Gers attempting to get the paperwork finalised in time so that he would be eligible to feature in Sunday’s Glasgow derby.

Miovski will be a familiar face to all Scottish football fans, having scored 44 goals across two seasons at Aberdeen, four of which came against Rangers, only on target against Livingston more frequently, but he is now tasked with scoring goals in light blue.

However, Miovski is not the only centre-forward on his way to Glasgow’s south side.

That’s because, as reported by Mike McGrath of The Telegraph, Rangers are in the “final stages of completing a deal” to sign Everton striker Youssef Chermiti, adding that a deal is now virtually agreed.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

The Portuguese under-21 international will move to Ibrox on a season-long loan, seemingly set to swap Merseyside for Glasgow imminently.

What Youssef Chermiti will bring to Rangers

After coming through Sporting CP’s academy, Chermiti made just 22 appearances for the Lions’ first team, scoring three goals, but this was enough to convince Everton to pay £15m to secure his signature.

However, this move has not paid off so far, with the striker making just 24 appearances for the Toffees, of which only two have been starts, these coming against Brentford in the Premier League in April 2024, and at Doncaster in the EFL Cup soon after his arrival, hooked at half time in Yorkshire with the side 1-0 down.

This might explain why Chermiti is yet to score a single goal for the Blues, having seen just 295 minutes on the field since moving to Merseyside over two years ago.

Thus, he is certainly looking to relaunch his career north of the border.

Analyst Kai Watson labels Chermiti a “proper big man” centre-forward, adding that, despite being 192 cms (6 ft 4 in), he is a “good dribbler”, while Jacek Kulig of Football Talent Scout asserts that he is a “superb prospect”

Given his lack of game time at Goodison, this signing is certainly a risk, mitigated by the fact it’s only a loan move, but could the Portuguese youngster replicate the success of Rangers’ best loan signing of recent times?

Ryan Kent also arrived at Ibrox on loan from Merseyside, joining from Liverpool in 2018, so successful during that season that they made him the club’s most-expensive signing of modern times, paying £7.5m to make the move permanent.

Before this however, as the table below documents, Kent had shown little sign that he was going to become a high-level performer.

Liverpool

1

Zero & zero

Coventry

17

1 & 1

Barnsley

47

3 & 3

Freiburg

6

Zero & zero

Bristol City

11

Zero & 2

As the table documents, before arriving at Rangers, in 82 senior appearances, Kent had scored just four goals and registered only six assists, ultimately accumulating 33 goals and 56 assists during his time at Ibrox.

Thus, there is certainly a recent precedent for a player arriving in Glasgow on loan and exploding in front of goal, something Chermiti will be hoping to replicate.

He could revive Raskin: Rangers in the race to sign "versatile" £1m talent

After both Nicolas Raskin and Mohamed Diomandé were left on the bench in Brugge, are Rangers about to sign a “versatile” midfielder valued at £1m?

Aug 29, 2025

Third-placed NSW needed to win to have any hope of reaching the final

AAP15-Mar-2025Jordan Silk struck an unbeaten 94 to give Tasmania the first-day honours in their pink-ball Sheffield Shield clash with NSW at Bellerive Oval.Silk (94 not out off 186), Tim Ward (64 off 158), Caleb Jewell (45) and Jake Doran (39) all chipped in to lift Tasmania to 309 for 7 before rain brought the opening day to an early finish.Third-placed NSW entered the match knowing they needed to win to have any hope of reaching the final, which will be hosted by South Australia.The strong first-innings total by Tasmania means NSW have plenty of work ahead of them to get a positive result.Tasmania slipped to 44 for 2 after Jake Weatherald (nine) was caught a slip and Nivethan Radhakrishnan (10) was trapped lbw by Ben Dwarshuis.But a 65-run stand between Ward and Jewell, followed by a 82-run stand between Ward and Silk put Tasmania into a strong position.Silk has the chance to post his 12th first-class century when play resumes on Sunday.Tasmania sit in last spot on the table and are no hope of reaching the final.But it’s all on the line for NSW, who must beat Tasmania and then rely on second-placed Queensland failing to get a win against ladder leaders South Australia.South Australia went to stumps on day one at a dominant 359 for 4 against Queensland, giving NSW even more incentive to turn the tables on Tasmania when play resumes.The match also represents another opportunity for NSW opener Sam Konstas to put his name up in lights ahead of Australia’s Test Championship final against South Africa at Lord’s in June.Konstas made a stunning Test debut against India in the Boxing Day Test, but his topsy-turvy form of late has been a big talking point.The 19-year-old rebounded with an important half-century in last week’s Shield draw with WA at the WACA, and his performance against Tasmania will be highly scrutinised as Australia’s selectors mull over who should partner Usman Khawaja at the top of the order.

Birmingham City and Chris Davies are now looking at signing an ex-Barcelona gem before the transfer deadline.

Birmingham City suffer shock EFL Cup defeat to Port Vale

The Blues were knocked out of the EFL Cup on Tuesday evening following a surprise 1-0 defeat to League One side Port Vale.

Jaheim Headley netted the only goal of the game, with Davies ringing the changes at St Andrew’s. Phil Neumann was the only player to keep his place in the side from the Championship victory over Oxford United, and talking after the game, the Blues boss said his side’s “normal rhythm and intensity” wasn’t there.

Attention quickly turns back to the league, with a trip to Leicester City on Friday evening, and behind the scenes, the club are also looking for one more signing before Monday’s transfer deadline.

Related Hendrie excited after transfer update on Birmingham and Oxlade-Chamberlain

Former Aston Villa midfielder thinks this will be a good transfer for inter-city rivals.

Posts ByCallum Kemp Aug 21, 2025 Birmingham City looking to sign ex-Barcelona gem Mikayil Faye

According to Give Me Sport, the 11th and final Birmingham signing of the summer could be Rennes defender Mikayil Faye.

Capable of playing as a centre-back or as a left-back, Faye is someone who ‘fulfils the main criteria for the Blues’, with the club looking for someone who can cover for injured left-back Alex Cochrane.

Faye, formerly of Barcelona, had a €400m (£345m) release clause in his Nou Camp contract but signed for the Ligue 1 side on a permanent basis in 2024.

Since then, the Senegal international has made 12 senior appearances for Rennes, mainly as a centre-back.

Still just 21 years of age, Faye could be targeted over the coming days, however, GMS also state that Birmingham have alternative targets in mind.

Leeds United have a “deal in place” for their next summer singing, who was also wanted by Premier League rivals Newcastle United.

Leeds signing tall and powerful players ahead of Premier League return

The Whites and the 49ers Enterprises have so far made six additions to Daniel Farke’s squad, who are currently away in Germany at a pre-season training camp.

Ahead of their Premier League return, Leeds have clearly been looking to bring in tall and physical players, strengthening the spine of their side with centre-backs Jaka Bijol and Sebastiaan Bornauw, alongside midfielders Sean Longstaff and Anton Stach.

Height of Leeds’ summer signings
Anton Stach	6ft 4
Sebastiaan Bornauw	6ft 3
Jaka Bijol	6ft 2
Sean Longstaff	6ft 1
Lukas Nmecha	6ft
Gabriel Gudmundsson	5ft 9

Left-back Gabriel Gudmundsson and centre-forward Lukas Nmecha make up the signings so far, and more look to be on the way. Stach was the most expensive and most recent signing and said after officially joining:

“I am excited to join such a good team, such a good Premier League team, and I am looking forward to the next season. My style of play, I would say I am an aggressive player. I am good in duels. I am good at anticipating passes from the opponents and it would be good for the Premier League. Now we will see, I will try my best.”

Leeds submit £30m bid to sign "insane" forward who's now keen to join

The Whites have entered negotiations for an attacker.

By
Dominic Lund

Jul 24, 2025

Leeds have also been on the search for a new first choice goalkeeper to replace Illan Meslier, with Lyon’s Lucas Perri identified as a top target for those at Elland Road.

Newcastle were also looking to sign the Brazilian this summer, but a positive development has now emerged with sporting director Adam Underwood set to get his man.

Leeds agree deal to sign 6 foot 5 goalkeeper Perri

According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano on X, Leeds now have a “deal in place” to sign Perri from Lyon.

A medical has been booked and it appears as if that could take place in Germany, the same way Stach underwent checks with Whites staff.

Sky Sports reporter Zinny Boswell believes the fee is worth just over £15m, with personal terms also in place for Perri to move to the Premier League with Leeds.

The 27-year-old, who stands at 6ft 5, joined Lyon in January 2024 from Botafogo and made 49 appearances for the French side. He kept 15 clean sheets during that time, 10 of which came in Ligue 1 in 2024/25.

Lyon manager Paulo Fonseca will surely be gutted to lose Perri, considering he lauded him as the “best in the world” just back in March.

Leeds will be delighted meanwhile, with Perri seemingly set to be thrown straight in as number one ahead of Meslier and Karl Darlow.

For India, there are key WTC points they can’t afford to lose, not with their reign at the top shaky and a tour of Australia coming up

Ashish Pant31-Oct-20245:50

Latham: ‘India not a bad team overnight’

Big picture: Pride (for India) and WTC points at stakeA 2-0 series scoreline heading into the final Test is what most followers of the game would have predicted when this three-match India vs New Zealand series began 15 days back. But barely anyone would have predicted that “2” would not be against India’s name.It has taken a series of firsts for New Zealand to find themselves in the position they are in. And now as they head to Mumbai with the series in the bag, they have the chance to do the unthinkable – inflict a series sweep over India in India. Only once have India been swept in a series of more than one Test at home – against South Africa in 1999-2000 – and never in a series of more than two Tests. Can India save themselves the blushes?Related

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Team-man Tim and the art of letting go (only if he has to)

While there is pride at stake for the home team, there are also crucial WTC points up for grabs for both sides. India are still leading the WTC points table but that lead has been cut short big time with these two defeats. Another loss here and they will have plenty of catching up to do in Australia.For New Zealand, getting to the WTC final seemed far-fetched when this series started but these two wins have brought them right back into contention. A win in Mumbai and then in the three-match series at home against England will keep them in the mix for another WTC final.It’s taken a lot of grit, determination and long spells of brilliant cricket for New Zealand to be able to dictate terms. They cleaned up India for 46 in Bengaluru and then stuck it out in the second innings when Rishabh Pant and Sarfaraz Khan were hitting them around. The naysayers would say the conditions in Bengaluru were more suited to New Zealand than to India. So they went to Pune and beat India in conditions that were completely different.Rarely has an overseas spinner outbowled his Indian counterparts in India. But Mitchell Santner understood the assignment from the get-go and India had no answers to his guile and dip. They also have Ajaz Patel, who is at the scene of his epic ten-wicket haul from 2021.For India, it’s more about how to bounce back from these shock defeats and get a win under their belt ahead of the Australia tour. On paper, this is a dead rubber. In reality, it’s anything but.Form guideIndia LLWWW
New Zealand WWLLL3:41

Gambhir: ‘The more T20 is played, the less people will defend’

In the spotlight – Virat Kohli and Mitchell SantnerVirat Kohli has a problem, it’s called spin, and it’s grown in the last few years, particularly in Asia. Since the start of 2022, Kohli has played 19 Tests in which he has scored four fifties and two centuries. Of those, 12 have been in Asia, where he’s managed just one fifty and a hundred. What’s stood out in those is his fallibility against spin.In 19 innings in Asia since January 2022, he’s fallen to spin 16 times, averaging 29.31. The corresponding number against pace is three dismissals while averaging 47.00. For someone who has that old-school long stretch forward against spinners, he has often been dismissed playing from the crease. He’s fallen to spin three out of the four innings in this series, to Glenn Phillips in Bengaluru and twice to Santner in Pune. On a Mumbai surface that is bound to turn, Kohli might need to do a bit extra to get his spin numbers on point.It will be Mitchell Santner who will once again be tasked with not allowing Kohli and the others to get away. For someone whose Instagram bio reads “part time New Zealand cricketer, full time golfer”, it was an incredible effort to come in and pick up 13 wickets in Pune, the same number he had managed in the five Tests he had played prior stretching to June 2021. He had tweaked his side in Pune, but seems to have recovered fine. He batted and bowled in the nets two days before the Mumbai Test and will hope to have a similar impact to what he did in Pune.Team news: Bumrah to be rested? What about Southee?While the series already lost, there are chances India might give Jasprit Bumrah a rest before the five-match series against Australia starting next month. With practice being mandatory, everyone did everything they could at the nets the day before the Test, except Bumrah, who did not bowl. Gautam Gambhir said that Bumrah is fit and available. But with a long tour ahead, India might look to give their premier quick a break like they did earlier in the year against England in Ranchi. Will they replace him with a spinner in Kuldeep Yadav or a fast bowler in Mohammed Siraj remains to be seen. The batting unit should remain unchanged with Sarfaraz Khan holding on to his spot.India (probable XI): 1 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 2 Rohit Sharma (capt), 3 Shubman Gill, 4 Virat Kohli, 5 Rishabh Pant (wk), 6 Sarfaraz Khan, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 R Ashwin, 9 Washington Sundar, 10 Jasprit Bumrah/Kuldeep Yadav/Mohammed Siraj, 11 Akash DeepMatt Henry looks set to come into New Zealand’s XI instead of Tim Southee•AFP/Getty Images

Matt Henry looks set to return to the New Zealand XI after missing out from the Pune Test because of a glute niggle. He bowled at full tilt two days before the Test and had a fitness test on Thursday. Henry was the pick of the bowlers in Bengaluru and is likely to come in place of Tim Southee. There were more indications from practice on the eve of the game with Santner fielding to the quicks at third slip instead of Southee, who often mans that position. The rest of XI is likely to be unchanged.New Zealand (probable XI): 1 Tom Latham (capt), 2 Devon Conway, 3 Will Young, 4 Rachin Ravindra, 5 Daryl Mitchell, 6 Tom Blundell (wk), 7 Glenn Phillips, 8 Mitchell Santner, 9 Matt Henry, 10 Ajaz Patel, 11 William O’RourkePitch and conditionsThe red-soil surface in Mumbai is dry and will take turn early. It is expected to crumble as the Test goes on but there should be good bounce for the fast bowlers and spinners. It is expected to be humid in Mumbai with the temperatures likely to be around the low to mid-30s on the Celsius scale.Stats and triviaAmong the current lot, Kohli has the most runs at the Wankhede Stadium – 469 in eight innings at 58.62 with three fifties and a centuryRohit Sharma has played only one Test at his home ground, back in 2013, where he scored an unbeaten 111 against West IndiesSince his debut in November 2018, Ajaz has the most wickets for an overseas spinner in Asia – 70 Henry is third on the list of fast bowlers for most Test wickets in 2024 – 31 in five TestsQuotes”I think looks a really good wicket. Obviously, it’s really difficult for anyone to judge how the wicket is going to behave unless the game starts on it and both the teams have batted on it. But I feel it looks a decent wicket and I’m sure once the guys get in, they can actually make the most of it.”
“I think so, yeah. We’ll have a look obviously at the wicket but I think if you look at past tosses, I think most teams have batted first.”

After announcing the arrival of Simon Adingra to add yet another impressive talent to their ranks, Sunderland have reportedly turned their attention towards an experienced goalkeeper this summer.

Adingra: Sunderland project is "really exciting"

Ask even the most optimistic Sunderland fan whether they expected the Black Cats to spend big this summer and the answer is almost certain to be a resounding no. Those at the Stadium of Light have entered the Premier League ready to lay down a statement, however, and become the first in six promoted sides to avoid the drop at the first time of asking. And the arrival of Adingra should play a large part in that.

The former Brighton & Hove Albion winger told Sunderland’s official website after sealing a move worth an initial £20.5m with add-ons: “It’s a pleasure to be here, and I cannot wait to get started. The Club and the project are really exciting.

“I spoke with everyone and their interest in me made the decision easy – I wanted to be part of Sunderland’s future. Playing in the Premier League has been a dream of mine since I was a kid, so to continue doing that is incredible. It’s a big challenge ahead – we’ll be facing top players and strong opponents – but I’m ready for it.”

After losing his starting place under Fabian Hurzler at Brighton last season, some may be quick to forget just how talented Adingra is, but he’ll be keen to send some timely reminders next season.

Sunderland set to sign another new star, £18m fee agreed and medical booked

The Black Cats have wasted no time.

2 ByTom Cunningham Jul 10, 2025

As impressive as the winger’s arrival is, though, the Black Cats are still not done in the summer transfer window. Reports are now suggesting that they’ve turned their attention towards a fresh shot-stopper.

Sunderland join race to sign £20m Ramsdale

According to GiveMeSport, Sunderland have now joined the race to sign Aaron Ramsdale, who has asked to leave relegated Southampton this summer. The goalkeeper reportedly has a release clause worth just £20m following the Saints’ relegation, handing those in Wearside the opportunity to swoop in should they please.

Signing an upgrade on current No.1 Anthony Patterson has been on Sunderland’s wishlist all summer. Reports even went as far as to suggest that the Black Cats were closing in on an agreement to sign Djordje Petrovic earlier this month. But with that deal yet to get over the line, the door has swung open for Ramsdale to hand Regis Le Bris a fresh alternative.

Starts

30

31

Clean Sheets

3

10

Saves P90

4

3.55

Save Percentage

67.6%

78.9%

It’s a difficult choice for Sunderland. Whilst Petrovic enjoyed an excellent campaign on loan at Strasbourg, who finished as high as eighth in Ligue 1, Ramsdale was often doing his best to help Southampton avoid major humiliation. And the numbers reflect that in many ways.

Rightly praised as “excellent” by Joe Hart at St Mary’s last season, Ramsdale could finally end his trend of frustrating relegations by swapping Southampton for Sunderland this summer.

In a fresh transfer twist, The Friedkin Group are now reportedly working on a deal which would see Everton sign a £25m South American star with the help of AS Roma.

Calvert-Lewin confirms Everton exit

With contracts officially coming to an end around the Premier League, it’s no surprise that Everton’s transfer business has instantly shown signs of life. The Toffees are reportedly set to sign the impressive Thierno Barry and have also set their sights on a return for former loanee Jack Harrison in two deals that would reinforce their attack following Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s departure.

The forward confirmed his departure after failing to sign a new contract in Merseyside, taking to social media to say: “The choice to move on was not simply about me, it was a decision with my family and we spent a long time considering together. We believe it’s the right moment to seek a new challenge and continue growing, but that doesn’t lessen the bond I’ll always have with Everton.

“I’m deeply proud of what we’ve shared, fighting for this club when it mattered most, scoring big goals in crucial moments, wearing the shirt with commitment and pride. My hope is that I leave with your respect, knowing I always sought to uphold the values of this great club.”

Friedkin have, of course, already reacted to that news by agreeing a deal to sign Barry, but they may not be done there on the transfer front. Reports are now suggesting that the American owners want to put their Roma links to sign a £25m defender for Everton.

Friedkin now working on Wesley deal

As reported by Gianluca Di Marzio, Friedkin are now working on a move to sign Wesley in a deal that would see the Flamengo defender join Everton and then head straight out on loan to Roma. The Italian club are already reportedly working on a deal for the €30m (£26m) right-back, but it’s the Toffees who could benefit in the long run.

Bigger talent than Barry: Everton chasing £28m ace with a "hint of Haaland"

Following Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s exit, Everton are set to sign Thierno Barry, but could they also target another striker who has a “hint of Haaland”?

ByBen Gray Jul 3, 2025

Friedkin own majority stakes in both clubs and are seemingly looking to hand David Moyes and his side a major boost using that ownership. Whether the American owners can pull off a complicated deal remains to be seen, however. On Wesley’s end, there’s no doubt that Everton would be getting a talented player.

A player who has had his critics, as South American football expert Nathan Joyes explained in December, Wesley is still just 21 years old and his “pacey” speed could quickly help him transform into a Premier League star.

While this season might have felt like one big disappointment for Arsenal fans, their team is still brilliant.

In spite of injuries, suspensions and a lack of cutting edge at points, Mikel Arteta’s side still managed to finish second in the Premier League and make it to the semi-finals of the Champions League and League Cup.

However, that lack of cutting-edge options up top and out wide was likely what ultimately prevented the North Londoners from getting over the line in any of their competitions this season and also explains the abundance of links to superstar attackers that have started popping up in recent weeks.

One of the links in question is particularly interesting, as it concerns an incredibly exciting English talent who has won comparisons to someone else touted for a move to the club: Rodrygo.

Arsenal's winger search

Before getting to the player in question, it’s worth looking at some of the other wide talents linked with Arsenal in recent weeks, like the aforementioned Rodryo and Kaoru Mitoma.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

The latter is reportedly available for around £80m, and while that is a lot of money, he might be worth it, as not only did he score 11 goals and provide four assists in 41 games this season, but he’s also Premier League-proven.

Yet, the Real Madrid star would undoubtedly be the more exhilarating addition to the team, as on top of producing a better tally of 14 goals and ten assists in 51 games this season, he’s simply the bigger name and would be joining the club from arguably the biggest team in the world.

However, at a reported £85m, not to mention the interest from other parties and the chance he might not even want to leave Los Blancos with Xabi Alonso at the helm, Artete a Co may have to look elsewhere, at a player who’s won comparisons to the Brazilian, such as Jamie Gittens.

Yes, according to a recent report from Caught Offside, Arsenal are one of several sides interested in the Borussia Dortmund star, but they are in a race against time if they are serious about signing him.

This is because the report has revealed that Premier League rivals Chelsea have already submitted a £55m offer for the young Englishman and are already in talks over a potential deal.

It’s unclear whether that fee will be enough, but if it’s close, then the Gunners should be doing all they can to get ahead of the Blues, as the 20-year-old’s ability and potential are undeniable, and the comparisons to Rodrygo a big bonus.

How Gittens compares to Rodrygo

Before getting into some of the other reasons why Arsenal should be signing Gittens this summer, it’s important to examine this comparison to Rodygo and where it has come from.

In this instance, it stems from FBref, which looks at players in similar positions in Europe’s top five leagues, the Champions League and Europa League, before creating a list of the ten most comparable players.

By doing this, it has been concluded that the Real Madrid star is the fifth most similar attacking midfielder or winger to the Dortmund ace across the last 365 days.

Non-Penalty Expected G+As

0.31

0.32

Non-Penalty G+As

0.56

0.51

Shots

2.64

2.52

Passes into the Penalty Area

1.22

1.21

Goal-Creating Actions

0.51

0.42

Successful Take-Ons %

45.0%

44.1%

Ball Recoveries

3.20

3.32

Aerial Duels Won

0.25

0.33

The best way to see how this is worked out is by taking a look at the underlying metrics in which the pair rank closely, including but not limited to expected and actual non-penalty goals plus assists, shots, goal-creating actions, passes into the penalty area, aerial duels won and more, all per 90.

However, this flattering and encouraging comparison to one of Europe’s most exciting wingers isn’t the only reason the Gunners should be after the 20-year-old.

Another is that, despite still being so young, the dynamic outlet, whom Sky Sports’ Dougie Critchley dubbed “England’s best LW,” managed to score 12 goals and provide five assists in 48 appearances, totalling 2790 minutes this season.

That comes out to an impressive average of a goal involvement every 2.82 games, or mre crucially, every 164.11 minutes of action.

Finally, per FBref, the Reading-born gem sits in the top 1% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe’s top five leagues for successful take-ons per 90, at 3.57, which is just the sort of aggressively direct winger the Gunners could use to help them terrify teams next year.

Ultimately, while it might be hard to get ahead of Chelsea, Arsenal have to try, as Gittens looks destined to reach the very top of the game, at least based on the calibre of player he’s currently being compared to.

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As good a team as Arsenal are, there has been one key factor in their failure to get over the line in the last few years: a lack of genuine attacking threat across the whole frontline.

Now, nobody can question the incredible talismanic abilities of Bukayo Saka, but it has to be said that down the middle and increasingly off the left, the North Londoners are lacking.

For example, despite them still being second in the Premier League, Liverpool, Manchester City, and Newcastle United have all scored more than them.

So, with that in mind, it’s not a surprise to see the team linked to an array of incredible wingers, including one who has won comparisons to the likes of Vinícius Junior and Lamine Yamal.

Arsenal transfer targets

The last few weeks have seen Arsenal linked with a whole host of incredible stars, so before getting to the player in question, it’s worth taking a look at some of their other supposed targets, like Rayan Cherki and Liam Delap.

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The former could be available for around £30m this summer, so that, combined with his ability to play in multiple positions and brilliant haul of 31 goal involvements in 42 games this season, makes signing him feel like a no-brainer.

It’s a similar situation regarding Delap, as even though he’s not been quite as prolific, he’s still been able to amass an impressive tally of 12 goals and two assists in just 34 top-flight games this season, so his £30m release clause also feels too good to pass up on.

However, while both players have an immense amount of potential, Arteta and Co might be after someone already near the pinnacle of his game, someone like Rafael Leão.

Yes, according to a report from Spain last month, Arsenal are one of several teams keen on the AC Milan superstar ahead of the summer transfer window.

However, the North Londoners are not alone in their appreciation for the Portuguse superstar, as a more recent report from Caught Offside has also credited Chelsea with an interest in the winger, who they claim could be available for as little as €75m, which is about £64m.

It would be a complicated transfer to get over the line, but given Leão’s immense ability, one well worth fighting for, especially as he’s won comparisons to Yamal and Vinicius in the past.

How Leão compares to Vinicius and Yamal

So, before we get into the other reasons why Arsenal should be going all out to sign Leão this summer, it’s worth addressing these comparisons to Vinicius and Yamal and where they come from.

Well, in this instance, they stem from FBref, which looks at players in similar positions in Europe’s top five leagues, the Champions League and Europa League, and then creates a list of the ten most comparable players for each one.

In this instance, they have concluded that the Real Madrid star is the second most similar attacking midfielder or winger to the Milan star across all of those competitions, while the Barcelona star has been ranked as the seventh most similar in this season’s Champions League.

Leão & Vinicius
Statistics per 90	Leão	Vinicius
Expected Assists	0.24	0.25
Goals per Shot	0.13	0.12
Goals per Shot on Target	0.30	0.31
Crosses into the Penalty Area	0.32	0.31
Successful Take-ons	2.85	3.06
Live Passes	31.5	33.1
All Stats via FBref for the 24/25 Season

The best way to see how these conclusions have been reached is to look at the players’ underlying numbers and find the metrics in which they rank closely.

In the case of Vinicius, those metrics include things like expected passes, goals per shot and shots on target, crosses into the penalty area, successful take-ons and more, all per 90.

Leão& Yamal
Statistics per 90	Leão	Yamal
Expected Assists	0.23	0.20
Passing Accuracy	74.1%	74.5%
Key Passes	1.14	1.15
Successful Take-ons	4.43	4.59
Carries into the Final Third	3.64	3.44
All Stats via FBref for the 24/25 UCL Season

For the comparison with Barça’s young superstar, the metrics include things like passing accuracy, expected assists, carries into the final third, key passes, successful take-ons, and more, all per 90.

The fact the 25-year-old shares an ability to take players on and beat them with two of the best players in the game is hardly surprising, as FBref place him in the top 4% of wingers for successful take-ons in Europe’s top five leagues, and The Athletic’s Alex Barker has called him “one of the best dribblers in the world.”

Finally, away from the incredibly flattering and promising comparisons, another reason Arteta should go out and sign the former LOSC Lille star is his output.

So far this season, the Almada-born dynamo has scored 12 goals and provided 13 assists in 48 appearances, which works out to an impressive average of a goal involvement every 1.92 games – something the Gunners could really do with off the left.

Ultimately, while it wouldn’t be cheap, Arsenal should be doing all they can to sign Leão once the window opens, as his output and technical mastery could help propel the club to glory.

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