There is no getting around it, next season feels like it’s do or die for Arsenal.
Mikel Arteta has done incredible work over the last five or so years, turning what was a mid-table side at best into perennial title challengers, but after three failed attempts to claim the Premier League crown, they have to get it over the line this time.
Fortunately, while it’s going to require a Herculean effort from the Spaniard’s squad, Andrea Berta and Co have done their bit so far this summer in providing him with some exciting reinforcements.
The marquee signing so far has undoubtedly been Viktor Gyokeres, who joined the club from Sporting CP for a total fee of around £63.5m, and while that is a lot of money, there is already an attacker in the Gunners’ setup worth that little bit more, and no, it’s not Bukayo Saka.
Why Arsenal signed Gyokeres
So, there is no denying that Arsenal pushed the boat out to sign Gyokeres this summer, as while his fee of £63.5m might not break any records, it still comes in as the club’s fifth highest ever.
However, it’s easy to see why Arteta and Co felt okay spending that, as for all their defensive solidity last season, the Gunners were only the third-highest-scoring team in the Premier League and scored a whopping 17 goals fewer than champions Liverpool.
So the best course of action in that situation would probably be to go out and sign a prolific number nine, and there were few, if any, more prolific than the Swedish monster.
For example, in 52 appearances for Sporting last season, totalling 4248 minutes, the goalscoring “powerhouse,” as dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson, put the ball in the back of the net 54 times and provided 13 assists for good measure.
In other words, the 27-year-old machine averaged 1.28 goal involvements every game, or one every 63.40 minutes, which is the sort of output that could fire the North Londoners to glory next year.
On top of that, the former Coventry City star has also scored 15 goals and provided six assists in 26 appearances, totalling 1568 minutes, for Sweden, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.23 games, or every 74.66 minutes.
In short, Gyokeres is a lean, mean goalscoring machine, and it’s easy to see why Arsenal splashed the cash on him, although even with his lofty price tag, he’s worth less than one of his new and younger teammates.
The Arsenal star worth more than Gyokeres
While they are yet to win anything, Arsenal are a team stacked to the rafters with brilliant talents and, in this instance, we are talking about none other than Ethan Nwaneri.
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In a season in which it felt like nothing went the way of the Gunners and their fans didn’t have a whole lot to celebrate, the 18-year-old’s breakout was one of the few genuinely positive points.
Of course, the Enfield-born gem did make his first senior appearance for the club as a 15-year-old in 2023, but it was last season when he showed the fans and the rest of the league, for that matter, that he’s a serious talent.
In fact, he was so impressive last year that Football Transfers have valued him at a whopping €74m, which is around £64.5m, or £1m more than Gyokeres cost late last month.
Now, we aren’t saying for a second that the youngster is already better than the Swedish international, or will have as big of an impact as him in the first team next season, but given his brilliant performances in 24/25, it’s not hard to imagine him developing into a genuine superstar in a few years – hence the lofty valuation.
Appearances
37
Minutes
1378′
Goals
9
Assists
2
Goal Involvements per Match
0.29
Minutes per Goal Involvement
125.27′
For example, despite starting the season as a 17-year-old, the “phenomenal” prospect, as dubbed by former professional Stephen Warnock, managed to score nine goals and provide two assists in just 1378 minutes.
In other words, the Hale Ender averaged a goal involvement every 125.27 minutes in his first proper campaign of first-team football, when playing in the Champions League and the toughest league in the world, per Opta Analyst.
Finally, it’s not just the output, as some of the teenager’s underlying numbers are nothing short of extraordinary.
According to FBref, he sits in the top 1% of attacking midfielders and wingers in Europe’s top five leagues for successful take-ons, the top 4% for crosses into the penalty area and the top 7% for total carrying distance, all per 90.
Ultimately, there is still so much to see from Nwaneri over the coming years, but based on his performances last season, it’s easy to see why he is currently worth more than Gyokeres.
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