How Arsenal could sign another version of Saka before the window shuts

Arsenal‘s 3-0 win over Manchester City in the Community Shield last Sunday was a massive statement and one that was made all the more impressive by the fact that Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka did not start the game.

After their exertions last season and indeed during the World Cup, they joined pre-season just over a week ago and are yet to get back to full fitness.

As a result, they will likely be eased into things at the start of the new season. For Rice, Arsenal now have cover, exceptional cover at that in the form of Bruno Guimaraes.

For Saka, however, the same problem remains; Noni Madueke is not good enough to replace him.

What this season holds for Bukayo Saka

Arsenal’s star boy would be the first person to tell you that his standard over the last year hasn’t been where it should be.

Last term was his worst in the famous red and white for overall output in five seasons. What has the problem been? Well, a torn hamstring in 2024/25 certainly has not helped matters.

Since then, the winger looks as though he has lost some of his explosiveness. His decision making is still first class. His tactical intelligence is second to none.

Yet, part of what made him such an exciting player had been lost. What also hasn’t helped is a niggling achilles issue, something that hampered him big time at the World Cup.

The player insisted he was fit but he did not look it. Thomas Tuchel certainly wasn’t taking any chances.

With his work load not as high over the summer, there is a hope that Saka will get back his best in 2026/27. What should also help is that arrival of the aforementioned Guimaraes and the return to form of Martin Odegaard.

It was no surprise that with Odegaard suffering from a lack of form last term, that Saka was underwhelming too. Together, they have been two of Arsenal’s most reliable players during the Mikel Arteta era.

REUTERS/Chris Radburn

The Norwegian returned to form last weekend, scoring and playing the pre-assist for Kai Havertz’s goal. If he plays like that regularly in 2026/27, the Gunners’ number 7 will no doubt benefit significantly.

What will also help is a lack of reliance on the right flank. They need more from the left. Christos Tzolis is already providing that but Arteta needs more.

How Arsenal could sign another Bukayo Saka before the window closes

With Leandro Trossard no longer at the club and Gabriel Martinelli bound for the exit door, one of the biggest priorities for Arteta and Andrea Berta has been to sign replacements and upgrades on the left.

In Tzolis, it looks as though Arsenal have already found a player potentially capable of replicating Saka’s performances on the opposite side of the pitch.

Reuters/Matthew Childs

The Greek has started his time at the club in flying fashion, registering two assists in the Community Shield. He now has 31 assists since the beginning of 2025/26 in competitive action. Not bad, eh?

Well, they could add to Tzolis by signing Turkish forward Kenan Yildiz. Arsenal’s interest in the Juventus star has been no secret this summer but after he signed a new deal in Turin, it looked to have eradicated the idea of making a move.

Alas, with the Gunners unable to secure the signings of Vinicius Junior and Morgan Rogers, they are looking at Yildiz again. A report from TEAMtalk outlines that Arsenal have held fresh talks with the player’s camp to understand his situation in Italy.

It is understood that the Turkiye international would be open to moving to the Emirates Stadium but his new deal makes things rather complex.

What that contract has done to Yildiz’s valuation is unknown but reports in recent days have indicated the Gunners are ready to pay an £87m fee to bring him to England.

So, what makes this 21-year-old so special? Well, he’s cut from a similar cloth as not just Saka – magical in tight spaces and so efficient with his play – but also the aforementioned Rogers. Indeed, Yildiz is not an out and out winger. No, he’s a multi-faceted attacker who played 27 times off the left last season and 19 times as what can be described as a second striker, playing just behind a centre-forward.

In those matches, the youngster was more productive playing through the middle, scoring seven goals and assisting six from a central position. On the flanks, he only actually netted three times and assisted four.

All that said, he stacks up incredibly well compared to Saka. According to ScoutLab, the most similar player to Yildiz in Europe’s top five leagues last season was actually Arsenal’s main man. It is clear to see why.

They rank incredibly closely for a whole host of metrics, perhaps most notably in the carrying department. They are both incredibly threatening with the ball at their feet. They are the definition of a full-back’s nightmare.

To further the comparison, interestingly they are similarly creative. For years, that has been one of Saka’s main strengths but Yildiz was right up there with him last season, actually even better when it came to the rate of big chances created from open play.

Tzolis may well prove to be an outstanding addition to Arsenal’s frontline, particularly at £34m, but Yildiz looks like the ‘elite’ winger Arteta has been craving all summer.