Bukayo Saka is to signing a new deal at Arsenal but the club can make a huge saving and promote from within to support the winger next season instead of spending big
Arsenal have a number of priorities for the summer transfer window, mainly a central midfielder to provide competition and cover for Thomas Partey and Granit Xhaka but also a full-back and potentially a right sided centre-half. However, there are other areas which perhaps could do with reinforcement.
The Gunners are closing in on the renewal of Bukayo Saka, football.london understands, with the player having told Arsenal he wants to continue under Mikel Arteta. However, the right wing lacks the same level of investment and first-team cover the left has.
Gabriel Martinelli is supported by £27million January signing Leandro Trossard with Emile Smith Rowe also fighting for his place after returning from injury. On the right, only Reiss Nelson and the versatile Fabio Vieira have a claim to support the England international.
The winger was seen as an alternative to Mykhailo Mudryk after Chelsea hijacked the Gunners’ move for the Ukrainian.
According to German journalist Patrick Berger, the Frenchman would cost the club a significant fee. He tweeted: “Arsenal again very interested in Moussa Diaby after Mudryk-deal collapsed! Understand there were initial talks between Gunners and Leverkusen.
“But the Bundesliga side don’t want to sell the French winger in January. Summer transfer more likely. Price tag €75m+huge bonuses.”
The €75m (£65.9m) that it would cost at the very minimum, according to Berger, to sign Diaby is a huge investment. Especially when considering the needs in arguably more pressing positions.
Therefore perhaps the club can look internally for a solution, at least in the short term whilst other areas are addressed. In January Arsenal sent Marquinhos on loan to Norwich City.
The Brazilian arrived for €3.5m (£3.1m) from Sao Paulo. He impressed Mikel Arteta and the youth coaches and gradually worked his way into the first-team squad for Europa League games and on the bench for league fixtures.
He scored and assisted on his first start in the Europa League and has since left on loan to Norwich City in the championship where he again scored and assisted on his first start. Could it be that the club looks to the 19-year-old as a potential competitor to Saka for the next campaign?
Arteta said that the loan to Norwich “will be a really good test for him”. The Spaniard clearly has been a fan of the winger and spoke in high regard during the summer when the club decided against sending him out on loan sooner.
“We’re very happy with him, he’s adapted really well,” said Arteta. “He’s a really likeable figure in the dressing room and around [London] Colney even if his language is not great yet. I think his physicality has been pretty exceptional for someone coming from Brazil with a different way to train and to play the way he’s done it.
“I think he’s got very good qualities for how we want to play. We’re going to keep him here for another few months and make sure he establishes himself in the club and the team. After that, we’ll see what’s the best move for him.”
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