Bukayo Saka. Arsenal‘s poster boy. The young man who fans across north London and the globe place their hopes on every week.
It wasn’t long ago that Saka claimed the passionate supporters deserved more. Boy has he delivered on his promise to bring the good times back since that statement.
A Premier League title may not have been claimed yet but Mikel Arteta, with Saka in tow, have come mightily close, only losing out by two points last term to Manchester City.
The club’s number 7 was very much at the heart of things again in the famous red and white shirt. No Gunners player scored more than the Englishman’s 20 goals in all competitions and no player contributed with more than his 14 assists.
Rio Ferdinand once suggested that the winger wasn’t world-class yet. Boohoo to that. Saka is one of the very best wide players out there.
The trouble is that he could do with a rival, someone who will take away the strain from playing nearly every minute of a 38-game season.
So, who could they sign?
Arsenal chasing competition for Saka
The Gunners have been trying to sign another right winger for some time. Cast your minds back to the summer of 2022 and you’ll remember their alleged chase for Raphinha.
At the time, the Brazilian was playing for Leeds United but ended up at Barcelona. Pedro Neto was of interest and he still is according to some reports.
However, a new target on their shortlist is PSV Eindhoven attacker Johan Bakayoko. That’s according to Dutch journalist Rik Elfrink who reported earlier this week that the transfer team at Colney had lodged an enquiry to establish the availability of the player this summer.
Reports earlier this year suggested that the Eredivisie club could be holding out for a fee in the region of £51m for his services.
So, what could he add to the Gunners side?
How Bakayoko is similar to Saka
Last season the 21-year-old was in excellent touch in the Netherlands, scoring 14 goals and supplying the same number of assists across all competitions.
Bakayoko’s role on the pitch? He played all 47 matches on the right flank. Bakayoko’s footedness? Left. You can already start to see the first pillars of similarities emerging.
But there must be more to it, right? Well, with the help of analyst Ben Mattinson we can paint the full picture. Speaking about the Belgian talent on social media, he once said that Bakayoko is “one of the profiles in Europe who is the most similar to Saka.”
Those are positive signs indeed for a young forward who he also described as “explosive” in the final third.
So, what does the data say? Well, we’ve got the answers.
When it comes to their creative play and goal-scoring they are more or less on the same level, notably making a very similar number of progressive passes every 90 minutes. In fact, the way they get the ball up the field is one of their most striking attributes.
A pass is considered progressive if the distance between the starting point and the next touch is at least 10 meters closer to the opponent’s goal or any completed pass into the penalty area.
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Bakayoko vs Saka: Key stats (league only) |
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|---|---|---|
|
Stat (per 90 mins) |
Bakayoko |
Saka |
|
Goals |
0.43 |
0.49 |
|
Assists |
0.32 |
0.28 |
|
Progressive carries |
7.11 |
4.78 |
|
Progressive passes |
3.50 |
3.89 |
|
Shot-creating actions |
5.20 |
5.80 |
|
Successful take-ons |
3.32 |
1.51 |
|
Stats via FBref. |
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We all know good Saka is in one-vs-one situations but Bakayoko looks even better in this regard, making an obscene number of progressive carries every 90 minutes. For context, he ranks in the top 1% of wingers who play in leagues of a similar level to the Dutch top flight for that very statistic. He is an elite dribbler and one who would no doubt fit into the Arsenal team like a glove.
A carry is considered progressive if the ball is moved towards the opponent’s goal at least ten yards from its starting point or is carried into the penalty area.
So, although Saka would have a rival this is a move that would benefit the club’s attack incredibly well.
Whether it’s Kai Havertz or, dare we say it, Viktor Gyokeres up top, they would thrive alongside the Belgium international.
Gyokeres has been linked rather relentlessly with the club over the last week or so with some reports from Portugal even suggesting a £76m deal is on the verge of completion.
Signing these two players, therefore, would be a dream. All you have to do is imagine the dazzling talents of Bakayoko alongside the Sporting striker’s elite goalscoring talents.
Last term, the Swede found the net on 43 occasions. Adding that level of firepower with a scintillating ball carrier such as the PSV sensation would be quite something.
Arsenal scored fewer goals than Man City in 2023/24 but these two could well give Arteta the arsenal – pardon the pun – to finally get the better of his good friend Pep Guardiola.
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