Arsenal target unreal £58m “machine” who’d supercharge Saka - sports news foot

This season has been full of ups and downs for Arsenal thus far.

Mikel Arteta’s side have dropped points in games they really shouldn’t have, like last weekend, but have then bounced back with an emphatic win like they did against AS Monaco.

However, while much of the team have been unpredictable and some way off their scintillating best, Bukayo Saka has taken another step forward and has now cemented himself as unquestionably the Gunners’ best and most important player.

So, recent reports linking the club with a striker who could help the Hale End icon get even better should leave fans incredibly excited.

Arsenal transfer news

According to a recent report from Caught Offside, Arsenal are interested in signing Juventus star Dušan Vlahović in January.

The report has revealed that Arteta is pushing the club to make a move for the Serbian international next month, who is valued at €70m by the Old Lady, which converts to around £58m.

However, the Gunners are unlikely to have a free run at the talented striker, as the report also claims that Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea are ‘monitoring’ his situation.

It will likely be a complicated and costly transfer to get over the line, but given Vlahovic’s incredible ability, one well worth pursuing, especially as he could help Saka reach another level.

Why Vlahović would make Saka even better

So, to get straight to the point, there is one key reason why Vlahović would make Saka even better: his raw output.

Yes, over the last few seasons, the Serbian international has proven to be a reliable scorer of goals, so playing him down the middle over the likes of Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz should see the Gunners’ mercurial number seven’s already impressive assist tally explode.

For example, since the start of the 22/23 season, the Belgrade-born goalscoring “machine”, as dubbed by U23 scout Antonio Mango, has scored 42 goals and provided nine assists in just 98 appearances, which equates to a goal involvement on average every 1.92 games, during a time Juventus have been far less dominant in Serie A.

In contrast, the former Chelsea ace has scored 33 goals and provided ten assists in 120 games, which comes to a reasonable but less impressive average of a goal involvement every 2.79 games.

Lastly, Jesus, who Havertz has replaced, has scored 20 goals and provided 17 assists in 88 appearances across the same period, which comes to an average of a goal involvement every 2.37 games.

However, his form this season has been diabolically poor, and it feels like his future lies elsewhere.

With that said then, it’s quite clear that the “phenomenal” Juve attacker, as dubbed by journalist Ollie Spencer, is the most effective of the three, so just imagine how many goals he’d be able to score playing alongside Saka, who has already racked up 12 assists in 21 games.

Likewise, having a more traditional number nine to his left should also help the 23-year-old Englishman reach another level.

Ultimately, while Havertz and Jesus are good players to have in the squad, it would appear that Vlahovic is the superior striker.

Therefore, Arsenal should do what they can to sign him in January.

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