Bukayo Saka is a world-class winger but he's not infallible, going through ups and downs like any other player. Arsenal have a top strikeforce but Mikel Arteta is searching for a high-class addition ahead of next season's desired title charge.
While signing a centre-forward is one of the club's chief concerns, a player of a more versatile model would be landed if the right one came along, and if recent rumours are to be believed, the Gunners have indeed identified a multi-functioning forward to bring to the Emirates.
Arsenal eyeing Serie A star
According to a report from Tutto Juve earlier this week, Arsenal are interested in signing Juventus' Federico Chiesa this summer and are willing to pay €45m (£38m) to secure his services.
However, Chelsea and Newcastle United are also named as suitors and the Gunners will need to convince the Italy international that he would have an important role to convince him to move to north London.
Imagine Federico Chiesa & Bukayo Saka
Chiesa would arrive at Arsenal's door with a superabundance of quality but also a catalogue of injury issues to have hampered his football over the past few years.
However, while Chiesa would expect to play a prominent part in Arteta's plans, he would also find his workload eased given the dynamic and multi-positional quality of the Arsenal frontline.
The 26-year-old is principally a right winger but spent the majority of the 2023/24 campaign in a position playing off the centre-forward, and indeed, having featured across such a wide range of positions, Chiesa could serve a distinctive and important purpose for Arteta.
Right winger
93
33
13
Second striker
62
14
9
Left winger
61
11
13
Right midfield
37
9
8
Centre-forward
24
4
5
Left midfield
11
4
1
Attacking midfield
2
0
0
One prominent fan voice on X (formerly Twitter), even claimed that the Italian reminded him of a former Gunners stalwart during his Fiorentina days, saying: "His pace and directness is electric. Reminds me a lot of Marc Overmars."
Overmars was one of Arsene Wenger's staples in the early years of the esteemed Frenchman's reign, with his fleet-footed, glittered-dribbling style saw him play an important role in completing the Premier League and FA Cup double in 1997/98, scoring 16 goals and supplying six assists in all competitions.
Chiesa has been described as a “wizard” by football media personality Roger Bennett and so may well have that flair factor to make a real name for himself within Arteta's team, emulating Overmars and providing the likes of Saka with reliable creative support.
After all, he might have scored ten goals for the Old Lady this season but the 5 foot 9 whiz also ranks among the top 1% of forwards across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for shot-creating actions per 90, as per FBref.
For a player like Saka, who spreads his output across direct and creative areas to equally resounding effect, clinching 20 goals and 14 assists in all competitions this season, Chiesa sure would be a dream to combine with.
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ByEmilio Galantini