Why Saka will flourish if Arsenal now sign “one of the best LWs in Europe”

Mikel Arteta has created a super-team at Arsenal, with his outfit winning the Premier League last season and doing anything other that rest on their laurels.

Arsenal spent many years sprawled on the fringes of title conversations. They ascended to title contention under Arteta, but came second for three years in a row. Now, the Gunners are the team to beat, with a squad capable of defending their crown this year.

Christos Tzolis brings a fresh edge to the left tine of Arteta’s attacking trident, while the £75m deal that will see Newcastle captain Bruno Guimaraes to the Emirates could move mountains in the middle of the park.

But there’s no question that Arsenal need more in attack. They need signings, sure, but they also need Bukayo Saka on his A-game.

How Arteta can revive Bukayo Saka

Arsenal were the finest team in the country last year, and they fully deserved their title. However, the forwards left a lot to be desired throughout, and Arteta will demand more this time around.

He needs his stars to step up, Saka chief among them.

In fairness to the Three Lions superstar, he struggled with injury issues throughout the campaign. Saka scored only seven goals in the Premier League, and while his underlying physical and creative numbers still spoke of his greatness, there’s no denying that his prolific standards slipped.

It’s crucial that Arteta brings him back to the fore. It’s no surprise that Arsenal’s wider attacking system struggled to fire on all cylinders without Saka on his A-game.

At the World Cup, the 24-year-old only started three times, one of which came in that frenetic third-place play-off against France. Saka bagged a hat-trick, and he showed Thomas Tuchel that things could have been different, had he been fit from the start of the tournament.

Saka needs less of a burden in attack next season. Viktor Gyokeres scores goals, but lacks nuance and connectivity when Arsenal are on the ball. Leandro Trossard has gone, and Gabriel Martinelli only scored once in the Premier League last season. Arsenal – and Saka – need a new superstar up top.

Even though Arsenal won the Premier League last season, it felt like they had a few issues across the squad. That all changes this summer, with Arteta and Emirates technical director Andrea Berta ironing out those creases ahead of the new campaign.

Arsenal make world-class winger a top target

Vinicius Junior might be off the cards, but that doesn’t mean Arsenal cannot complete a marquee move for a left-sided attacker before the window is over.

According to TEAMtalk, failure in that bid could see Arsenal pivot toward Paris Saint-Germain’s Bradley Barcola, who is the subject of a Liverpool attempt to bring him over to the Premier League.

REUTERS/Sam Navarro

Of course, if Arsenal raise their long-standing interest and match Liverpool’s offer, they could convince the Les Bleus star to join, and sources have revealed that Arsenal have already moved on from their Vini setback, now setting their sights on alternative options, with Nico Williams and Barcola said to be the ‘prime targets’.

Barcola will cost suitors £145m this summer, though both Arsenal and Liverpool would expect some of that financial weight to be shaved off. Where some common ground can be found is anyone’s guess right now, but we know for certain that the Londoners plan to make a statement signing in attack.

Described as “one of the best left wingers in Europe” by Como scout Ben Mattinson, Barcola has scored 34 goals across two seasons in all competitions for PSG, and he ranked in top brackets for assists and chances created per 90 in the Champions League last year.

Luis Enrique benched Barcola across each of PSG’s triumphant Champions League finals, though, so it’s understandable that he has rejected a contract extension at Parc des Princes and hopes to emerge as a talisman elsewhere.

Playing from the left, Barcola would not jeopardise Saka’s position in the Gunners unit – and vice versa. Instead, these two contrasting wingers could make music together, charging Arsenal’s attack and putting so many opponents to the sword.

Saka knows how to score, but he is not so direct, nor is he as unrelenting a dribbler. In this, though Arteta could strike a perfect balance in attack, keeping his side’s offensive drive unpredictable.

Barcola is one of the most talented wingers out there, and if Arsenal can consolidate their position of strength by adding him to the attack, there’s no question that Arteta will have all that he needs to defend his side’s Premier League title and give it another go out in Europe.