So far, Arsenal’s transfers from the 2023 summer window have proven successful for the most part. They brought in four players last summer, for a total of £201m, including breaking their transfer record.
Declan Rice joined the Gunners for £105m from West Ham United, a record deal for the club. Arsenal also signed Kai Havertz from Chelsea for £65m, Jurrien Timber from Ajax for £38m, although he has been injured for most of the season, and David Raya on loan from Brentford, who will join permanently this summer for £27m.
However, there are still a couple of holes in the Arsenal squad that Mikel Arteta needs to address this summer in order to continue to challenge Manchester City at the top of the Premier League.
The Gunners never really replaced Granit Xhaka in the midfield, following his departure to Bayer Leverkusen last summer. Havertz was originally signed to play in the midfield role vacated by Xhaka, but he has settled in at centre-forward this season.
However, another area of the squad Arsenal could strengthen is on the right wing. Aside from Bukayo Saka, Arteta does not have many options on the right, which means Saka is playing lots of games and rarely gets to rest. However, there is one player who has become an option of late for the Gunners.
Arsenal looking to sign Premier League winger
The right-winger in question here is Crystal Palace star Michael Olise. The 22-year-old is having a stellar season with the Eagles and is a rumoured target for several Premier League clubs, with Arsenal the latest to be linked.
According to Charles Watts of Caught Offside, Arsenal are looking to add a player who “can come in and do something a bit different in attack”, before explaining that “Olise is certainly someone who meets that criteria”.
In an interview with GiveMeSport, Ben Jacobs named some of the potential competition the Gunners may face in bringing Olise to the Emirates Stadium. Jacobs explains that Manchester United’s new owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has “approved the pursuit” of Olise for the Red Devils.
It will certainly be a long transfer saga to sign Olise this summer, who reportedly has a release clause of “around the £60m mark”, according to the Daily Mirror. It might well be that Olise has a host of clubs to choose from next summer, and Arsenal are certainly a viable option for the winger.
How Michael Olise compares to Bukayo Saka
There is little doubt that both Saka and Olise are two of the best right-wingers in the Premier League. Should both play for Arsenal next season, it would make for very impressive right-wing depth at Arteta’s disposal.
Both players are 22 years old, meaning they could well be first-team options at Arsenal for the next decade or so, in theory. Furthermore, they are both left-footed and like to cut in on their strong foot, although are not limited to this. Both Saka and Olise are confident going on the outside of a full-back adding an unpredictable dynamic to their game.
In terms of sheer goals and assists output this season, both players are having an exceptional time of things. Arsenal's number 7 has 14 goals and nine assists in 32 Premier League games so far this season, and the Eagles winger, who has spent time out injured, has seven goals and four assists in just 15 games in the Premier League.
Indeed, both attackers are superb creative outlets, with Olise’s 11 assists from the 2022/23 season bettered by just three players. In fact, when discussing Olise on X, football analyst Ben Mattinson explained that he could “push for the assist record” in a better side, for example, Arsenal.
This season in the Premier League, the France U21 international averages 2.73 key passes per 90 minutes, and 2.05 passes into the penalty area per 90 minutes, as per Fbref. This places him in the top 4% and top 19% amongst wingers respectively.
In comparison, Saka’s key passes per 90 minutes are almost identical. The England international averages slightly more than Olise according to Fbref, with 2.77, placing him in the top 3% amongst Premier League wingers. He averages more passes into the penalty area per 90 minutes, however, with 2.26 per 90 minutes, placing him among the best 12%.
Olise is perhaps one of the best crossers in the Premier League, and this is reflected in his numbers. The 7.89 crosses per 90 minutes he completes places him in the top 1% of wingers this term, compared to Saka’s 5.64 per 90 minutes, which ranks him in the best 8%.
Where the Arsenal man slightly excels over the Palace star is his progressive carries. The former averages 2.26 carries into the penalty area per 90 minutes, which places him in the top 20%. In comparison, the latter averages just 1.95 carries into the penalty area, ranking him in the 70th percentile.
However, this is not a bad thing and shows diversity in their game. You have a more progressive carrier in Saka, and a more progressive passer in Olise, giving Arteta a variety of options in his squad depending on the situation. If his side are trying to break down a low block, perhaps Olise is the best option. If there is space to run into, perhaps Saka is the ideal player to start.
Off the ball, Olise is a good presser and also tracks back to help his fullback. He averages 0.78 interceptions per 90 minutes, which ranks him in the top 11% of Premier League wingers. Saka’s numbers are considerably lower, with just 0.41 interceptions per 90 minutes, placing him in the 44th percentile, although he plays in a side with less defending to do than Crystal Palace.
The French sensation seems like a must-sign for Arsenal. Mattinson further described him as “magic”, and that is certainly reflected in his stats. Having both Olise and Saka as right-wing options for the Gunners is a mouth-watering prospect for their fans; they are two of the best in their position in the Premier League.
Perhaps the signing of Olise is the catalyst the Gunners need to finally be able to win the Premier League, should they fail to do so this season, or retain their title in 2024/25, if they go all the way this season.
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ByJoe Nuttall
