Arsenal ready to launch bid for £43m Bukayo Saka rival

Bukayo Saka comes into the European Championships this summer off the back of a campaign where he enjoyed a career-best season in attack.

The Arsenal star may not have received an individual award like England colleague Phil Foden but he was still a revelation. He ended 2023/24 with 20 goals, ensuring he was the Gunners’ top scorer and he also supplied 14 assists.

The trouble is that he’s the only real option on the right-hand side of Mikel Arteta’s attack.

Gabriel Jesus has popped on the right at various stages this season while Gabriel Martinelli started the final day win over Everton on the right with Saka injured.

However, there lies the issue. The 22-year-old barely missed a minute this term and he could do with some more rest throughout the campaign. It should be a priority for Arsenal to sign some competition this summer.

Arsenal’s summer transfer plans

Fortunately, it would appear as though the Gunners are interested in bolstering their wide options this summer.

Crystal Palace star Michael Olise has been touted with a move and due to the fact Arsenal qualified for the Champions League, they’re reportedly leading the race for his signature.

Another option could be Athletic Bilbao’s Nico Williams. That’s according to Football Transfers who reported over the weekend that Arsenal have joined the race to sign the winger, but they will face competition from Chelsea, PSG and Barcelona.

The 21-year-old is said to possess a £43m release clause with the report stating that Edu and Co are ready to trigger that in the forthcoming weeks.

How Nico Williams compares to Bukayo Saka

Throughout William’s career to date, he has primarily popped up on the right-hand side of the attack.

The youngster has featured on that flank 73 times in his career, scoring 17 goals and supplying 18 assists.

As a result, he would seem well-placed to rival Saka for a place in Arteta’s starting lineup. The Spaniard also loves a versatile face and in Williams, he’d certainly be getting that.

Throughout 2023/24, the Spain international actually featured largely as a left winger. It was a spell-binding campaign with the Arsenal target scoring eight goals and supplying a whopping 17 assists in all competitions.

So, on that evidence, the Bilbao sensation is more about creating for his teammates than finding the net himself. That’s certainly not a bad trait to have.

So, what else does the £43m man possess in his armoury? Well, according to analyst Ben Mattinson he “would be the quickest player at the club if he joined”, citing that “speed is his best asset along with his two-footed ability.”

Arsenal are undoubtedly in need of adding more pace to their attack. When Martinelli is off-colour or isn’t playing then the Gunners can struggle to counter as efficiently as others.

Williams would certainly help in this regard. So, what do the numbers say?

Well, while Saka is evidently a bigger goal threat, it would appear as though Williams is far more dangerous when it comes to taking on a marker and beating them.

The sheer number of carries and take-ons are immense. We know how good Arsenal’s number 7 is in this regard so for a positional peer to trump him is rather impressive.

As Mattinson further stated, Williams is “good enough to displace Saka” and on statistical evidence, he’s not wrong.