Arsenal eyeing £85m transfer for the “new Mbappe”

It is not laborious to work out that Arsenal’s most vital space of want this summer time is up prime.

Whereas Mikel Arteta’s squad may definitely do with extra choices out broad and even in midfield, including a brand new striker to the facet may very well be the distinction between lastly getting over the road or ending one other marketing campaign with out main silverware subsequent season.

In spite of everything, the North Londoners produced the very best defence within the Premier League this yr however solely the third-best assault, which helps to clarify the abundance of hyperlinks to top-quality strikers which have been unattainable to disregard in latest weeks and months.

A type of goalscorers closely touted for a transfer to the Emirates has been Viktor Gyokeres, but when latest stories are to be believed, the membership may now be taking a look at another person, somebody who’d be an excellent higher signing.

Arsenal’s striker search

Given Arsenal’s aforementioned lack of objectives this season, it isn’t been a shock to see the membership linked with a plethora of probably game-changing strikers this summer time, like Benjamin Sesko and Ollie Watkins.

The previous may very well be obtainable for round £68m and racked up a tally of 27 aim involvements in 45 video games this season, whereas the latter may cost a little £40m and produced 17 objectives and 14 assists in 54 video games for Aston Villa.

Alternatively, it isn’t fully clear how a lot Gyokeres may value the North Londoners, as following his falling out with the Sporting CP board over a supposed gentleman’s settlement, stories have emerged claiming he may value as a lot, if no more than £68m.

The uncertainty across the Swedish worldwide may make signing him significantly sophisticated this summer time, and whereas that is not excellent, followers should not fear an excessive amount of, because it now seems as if the North Londoners are taking a look at one other free-scoring ahead, somebody who’d be a greater signing than former Coventry Metropolis star, Hugo Ekitiké.

Sure, in keeping with a latest report from the German publication BILD, Arsenal at the moment are within the Eintracht Frankfurt star.

The report has revealed that the Frenchman is now a severe choice for the Gunners and that ought to Gyokeres or Sesko show too costly or troublesome to signal, their curiosity within the 23-year-old will solely develop.

Nonetheless, there may be one drawback: the German outfit need €100m for his or her star attacker, which is round £85m.

It may very well be an advanced and dear switch to recover from the road, however given Ekitike’s potential and potential, it is one Arsenal ought to combat for, even when he finally ends up costing greater than Gyokeres, as we reckon he’d be the higher signing regardless.

Why Ekitiké could be a greater signing than Gyokeres

Now, it is easy to know why Arsenal would possibly wish to signal Gyokeres this summer time, as his type at Sporting has been nothing in need of miraculous over the past two years.

For instance, since becoming a member of the Portuguese giants in the summertime of 2023, the Stockholm-born dynamo has scored 97 objectives and offered 28 assists in 102 appearances, which comes out to a frankly absurd common of 1.22 aim involvements per sport.

If something, numbers like that make it laborious to imagine every other striker in world soccer could be a greater signing for the Gunners this season, however there may be one huge caveat relating to the Swede’s monster numbers, which is the league he is been taking part in in.

Whereas the likes of Sporting, Benfica, and Porto are all thought-about ‘huge’ golf equipment, the general stage of the Portuguese prime flight is comparatively poor.

In reality, in keeping with Opta Analyst, it is the eighth greatest league in world soccer, coming in behind the Belgian Professional League and the Championship.

Furthermore, in keeping with the identical date, 11 of the 18 groups within the competitors are League One stage or beneath, which makes it laborious to gauge how properly Gyokeres would do within the Premier League, particularly when he has by no means performed a minute in certainly one of Europe’s prime 5 leagues, regardless of being 27 years previous.

In distinction, Ekitiké has made 52 appearances in Ligue 1 and 47 within the Bundesliga, and this season, he is been extremely efficient when main the road.

In 48 appearances, totalling 3644 minutes, the 23-year-old gem, whom journalist Graeme Bailey as soon as dubbed the “subsequent Mbappé,” scored 22 objectives and offered 12 assists, which comes out to a superb common of 1.41 aim involvements per sport.

Now, is he seemingly much less efficient than Gyokeres? Sure, however not solely is he placing up nice numbers in a top-five European league, however he is doing so at a comparatively younger age.

Subsequently, Arsenal can really feel extra assured of the sort of output they’ll count on from Ekitiké whereas additionally anticipating additional enchancment within the coming years, and that is the principle cause he’d be a greater signing than the Sporting star.

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