Arsenal may well have conceded the Premier League this season but 2024/25 has not been a complete write off as far as Mikel Arteta is concerned.
It’s been a coming-of-age story for the Gunners in Europe, who, after being dumped out by Bayern Munich a year ago, are in the semi-finals of the Champions League where they will face PSG.
Whether or not Arsenal win the continent’s premier competition, their stock in the global game has risen this year after defeating Real Madrid.
Plenty will be enthused by the idea of playing for a club on the rise and plenty will be enthused by playing alongside a certain Bukayo Saka, Madrid’s tormentor.
Saka's Arsenal return in numbers
When Saka went down with a hamstring injury against Crystal Palace in December, stress levels around the Emirates Stadium increased significantly.
Up to that point, this was a player arguably having the best season of his career to date, having scored nine goals and registered 14 assists across all competitions.
Since his injury, the Gunners looked a shadow of the team we all know they can be. That, of course, was not helped by further injuries to Gabriel Martinelli, Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz.
Still, Saka’s absence was felt the hardest, even if Ethan Nwaneri came in and made a big impact.
Well, the Englishman is now back and despite only playing 183 minutes across five league outings, he’s made a hell of a return.
The wide forward scored within minutes of his comeback against Fulham and then was in dazzling form across both legs against Madrid.
Saka regularly had the beating of David Alaba in the 3-0 win at the Emirates and then, despite his missed penalty kick at the Bernabeu, recovered to score Arsenal’s first goal on the night, latching onto Mikel Merino’s deft pass to beat Thibaut Courtois.
That said, despite Martinelli’s return to form, notching against Madrid and Ipswich, they need to sign a left winger.
Arsenal's hopes of signing a new winger this summer
A number of new forwards have been linked with the club in recent weeks. Nico Williams of Athletic Bilbao is a name who refuses to go away while talks were reportedly held with Kingsley Coman’s camp to ascertain whether a summer move would be possible.
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Then there’s Barcelona’s Raphinha. Hailed as “the best player in the world” this season by one data-led analyst, Arsenal have reportedly been told they could sign him for about £80m this summer if the player wants to leave.
But, considering his standing as a Ballon d’Or contender, it would be a surprise to see him exit Camp Nou. So, enter Borussia Dortmund’s Jamie Gittens.
According to journalist Graeme Bailey, Chelsea have put the English winger at the top of their transfer wishlist this summer, but they will face competition, chiefly from Arsenal.
It’s reported that there has been interest from the Gunners in a player who could cost around £70m this summer, cheaper than the aforementioned price for Raphinha.
How Jamie Gittens compares to Bukayo Saka
While Saka has been wreaking havoc from the right-hand side in an Arsenal shirt over an extended period of time, the left side of the forward line has been a bit of a problem.
We all know the qualities Martinelli can bring to this Arsenal team on his day, but over the last two years he’s been an inconsistent figure, struggling to live up to that 15-goal campaign of 2022/23.
In 2023/24, he found the net on just eight occasions and this time around, he’s scored nine goals. As for Leandro Trossard, while he did bag 17 last season, he’s only scored ten times in 50 appearances.
So, whether it be Williams, Raphinha or Gittens, Arteta needs another wide player. Gittens could be his man.
Celebrated as “England’s next superstar” by the German media and regarded as “England’s best winger in 2024/25” by Sky Sports’ Dougie Critchley, it’s evident to see why he’s been garnering considerable hype, particularly this term.
He’s “electric” in the words of data analyst Ben Mattinson, scoring 12 goals and supplying five assists across all competitions he’s played in.
Like Saka, he’s a goalscorer, but the primary difference between the two is that Gittens is yet to really prove himself as a creative outlet. Still, in plenty of other areas, a lot of parallels can be drawn.
Goals
0.37
0.42
Assists
0.62
0.16
Progressive carries
4.88
5.87
Carries
33.0
31.6
Carries into final 3rd
1.67
2.80
Successful take-ons
2.28
4.07
Key passes
3.02
1.11
When assessing the numbers, it’s evident here that Saka is very much the primary creator out of the two. That being said, they are both ‘carry-first’ attackers.
They love to get on the ball and that’s proven by the fact that both of them average a similar number of carries per 90 minutes. It’s just that Gittens, operating in a more direct Dortmund side, averages more progressive carries, although not by very much.
A carry is considered progressive if the ball is moved towards the opponent’s goal at least 10 yards from its starting point or is carried into the penalty area.
As the aforementioned Mattinson eludes to, he’s “unpredictable in 1v1s”, possessing the “lovely ability” to either fashion a cross or shot on both feet.
That’s very much like Saka, who in the last few years has become a lot more adept on his right. Not only does he cut inside but he can also beat you on the outside. That’s very much what Gittens is about.
So, while the 20-year-old still has a lot of developing to do, it’s not every day you can sign an English talent as exciting as this. He’d be a brilliant foil to Saka on the left side of Arsenal’s three-prong attack.
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