Arsenal start talks to sign Saka 2.0

Was there a better set of images to emerge from the day Arsenal lifted the Premier League than seeing Bukayo Saka with the trophy in his arms?

Back in 2020, Saka sat motionless on the turf with the Gunners in a big rut. Mikel Arteta was now at the club but things had not started particularly well. “You deserve better Arsenal fans” was the caption that accompanied the image on social media from the Hale Ender.

Well, six years on, the England man has delivered on his promise; Arsenal fans have indeed got what they deserve. After 22 years of waiting, they are champions of England again.

The wait to be crowned kings of Europe goes on but with Josh Kroenke looks as though he is more invested than he ever has been in the project at Arsenal. A big assault on the transfer market could help them go one better in a year’s time.

Arsenal looking to sign their new Saka

As Arsenal move into the upcoming summer transfer window there are a few key areas in which they would like to strengthen. That was outlined by The Athletic’s David Ornstein after Gabriel’s missed spot kick in Budapest.

Ornstein told TNT Sports: “They know the need to improve at the top end. They are behind statistically the likes of PSG and Bayern Munich. The left-sided attack is a big priority for them and they’ve been looking at it for a few years and I think this may be the summer where they do go for it. They want a 6, 8 midfielder. They want to strengthen at right-back too.”

It really does feel like the attack is the priority and a number of targets have emerged already. Their primary objective looks as though it is to get Morgan Rogers out of Aston Villa with reports last week suggesting that initial talks have already been held between Arsenal officials and Rogers’ camp.

That said, with a price tag that could exceed £100m, alternatives may need to be sought and that’s where a certain Marcus Rashford comes into the equation.

Rashford’s future is currently up in the air. He spent last season on loan at Barcelona from Manchester United and have a £26m option to buy the player. However, despite spending £70m on fellow Englishman Anthony Gordon, Barca are haggling over that fee.

That has opened the door for other suitors to make their move and reports from Spain now suggest that three other teams have come to the table to discuss a move; Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle.

All three teams are said to have opened talks by making early inquiries into whether a deal could take place. United would obviously prefer to sell abroad rather than strengthen Arsenal.

Why Rashford could be Arsenal’s new Saka

Saka may well have endured a more difficult season than usual in Arsenal colours, scoring 11 goals and supplying nine assists, but he was certainly more consistent and convincing than the other wide players Arteta had at his disposal.

Improving a title winning side is usually a tricky task but there was an obvious hole in the squad this season and that was in attack.

The difference between the forward lines of PSG and the Gunners is stark. So, Arsenal will hope to find their own versions of players like Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Desire Doue and Co.

They certainly need it. Noni Madueke scored just eight goals in all competitions while Leandro Trossard matched that tally. However, even if the Belgian did come alive towards the back end of the season, scoring the famous winner against West Ham, he had not scored in 25 consecutive fixtures before finding the net at the London Stadium.

As for Gabriel Martinelli, he remarkably ended 2025/26 as the club’s joint-top scorer with 11 strikes to his name but only one of those actually came in the Premier League.

What Arsenal need, therefore, is a Saka-like player on the left-hand side of their attack. Rashford could be precisely that.

Over the years, there has been a huge reliance on Saka to produce the goods. The number 7 has been by far the best player of the Arteta era, scoring goals and supplying teammates with assists on a regular basis.

However, since 2023/24 when Leandro Trossard scored 17 times, they have missed that presence on the left side. In the form of Rashford, they could solve their problems.

The Manchester United academy graduate’s stock may have fallen in recent years but he enjoyed a fabulous season as Barcelona won LaLiga.

Given his numbers, it’s something of a shock they haven’t already signed him on a permanent basis. The 28-year-old scored 14 goals and delivered 11 assists in all competitions.

Like Saka, Rashford isn’t just a proven English wide player but crucially, he’s one of the most proven and best Premier League players on the market right now.

It wasn’t long ago that he was delivering simply world-class numbers. In 2020/21, he netted 21 goals and assisted 12 while in 2022/23, he found the net on as many as 30 occasions.

In the words of the aforementioned Gordon, he is “one of the best players in the world”, one of the most direct wingers around. Similarly to Saka, he loves getting forward as swiftly as possible, ranking among the finest 8% of wingers in Europe’s top five leagues for progressive carries per 90 with 4.70.

Arsenal’s star boy, for context, completes 4.77 per 90. They couldn’t be more alike when it coems to carrying the ball forward on the flanks.

Some may have their doubts over Rashford’s attitude but there is no doubting his quality. Potentially available for a bargain price, this would be a great signing for Andrea Berta.