Slowly but surely, Arsenal are ticking off their transfer priorities.
Two weeks ago, Bruno Guimaraes was confirmed as a Gunner. Now, Ezri Konsa is closing in on a move to the Emirates Stadium.
Headway has finally been made on a transfer fee between the Premier League winners and Aston Villa. It’s a crucial signing with William Saliba on the sidelines for an extended period of time.
Next up they need to strengthen the attack. Is there one last signing on the horizon after Konsa? Supporters will certainly hope so, even if Christos Tzolis has started his Arsenal adventure in impressive fashion.
Why Arsenal cannot rely on Christos Tzolis in attack
Last month, Andrea Berta finalised a £34m move to sign Tzolis from Club Brugge.
The deal did not attract much fanfare but it is safe to say he has earned many supporters during the opening weeks of his time at the Emirates Stadium.
After a goal and four assists across his first four appearances, including the Community Shield, he looks like serious addition to the club’s forward line.
However, there are still some concerns. How long can Tzolis sustain that sort of form?
Aged 24, he’s still incredibly young and there is so much potential to extract from the Greek. Yet, he has never done it at the very highest level before.
Lest we forget this is a player who failed at Norwich City during his last spell in England. He’s also a player who, like Viktor Gyokeres, posted exceptional numbers in a division outside of Europe’s top five leagues.
A year ago, the Swede joined Arsenal after a campaign in which he had scored 54 goals in 52 games. Last term, Tzolis was also exceptional, albeit in the Belgium Pro League.
The winger notched 22 goals and supplied 29 assists for his teammates. It was an extraordinary campaign but it remains to be seen if he can replicate those figures in England. History will suggest he won’t.
But, that’s okay, providing Mikel Arteta and Co sign another winger before the transfer window slams shut at the beginning of September.
Why £86m winger is now Arsenal’s top target
Arsenal have tried very hard to bolster their attack this summer. After winning the league, they knew they needed to take advantage of their status as champions.
Have they done so? Well, to prise Bruno Guimaraes and Konsa away from their settled homes at Newcastle and Aston Villa, suggests so.
Yet, they haven’t been able to get their hands on that elite wide man just yet. Tzolis may get there in time but they need someone who has already proven they can do it in Europe and for one of the game’s best clubs.
It is why Vinicius Junior was courted so hard. It is why they have also explored a move for PSG’s Bradley Barcola. Alas, Vini has signed a new contract with Real Madrid and the latter looks more likely to join Liverpool at this stage.
As a result, the Gunners have consulted a list of long-term targets and appear to have landed on Juventus star Kenan Yildiz.
A report from journalist Sacha Tavolieri reveals that the Turkiye winger is now a “dream target” for Arteta. Arsenal are set to give their pursuit of the player “everything they’ve got” with an approach being readied in the coming days.
Yildiz is valued at around £86m but has already signed a new deal this summer, meaning he will be very difficult to extract from Turin.
Still, with Arsenal in dire need of more quality in the final third, the 21-year-old would be a fabulous capture. Why? Well, he is one of the best young wingers in the world right now and he’s cut from a very similar cloth as the aforementioned Barcola and Vinicius.
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Yildiz vs Barcola: 2025/26 league stats |
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|---|---|---|
|
Stats (per 90 mins) |
Yildiz |
Barcola |
|
Non-penalty goals |
0.29 |
0.57 |
|
Shots |
3.08 |
3.45 |
|
Open play expected assists |
0.29 |
0.23 |
|
Open play big chances created |
0.41 |
0.57 |
|
Shot-ending carries |
2.03 |
1.95 |
|
Successful dribbles |
2.47 |
1.85 |
|
Progressive carries |
4.79 |
3.70 |
|
Progressive passes |
3.46 |
3.09 |
At Yildiz’s age, it is not much of a surprise to see him linger behind Barcola and Vini for overall output.
The Brazilian is one of the most free-scoring wingers in the world, netting over 20 times in each of his last five seasons. The PSG forward, by comparison, scored 13 times last term.
Yildz, on the other hand, found the net on just 11 occasions, registering a further nine assists. While that end product will no doubt improve in time, when it comes to a host of other metrics, he is among the very finest wide players around.
Like Barcola and Vini, he is an elite dribbler, a fabulous carrier of the ball. The Turkish star ranked among the top 11% of wingers in Europe’s top five leagues in 2025/26 for successful dribbles per 90 minutes. He also ranked among the best 8% of positionally similar players for progressive carries per 90.
A carry is considered progressive if the ball is moved towards the opponent’s goal at least 10 yards from its starting point or is carried into the penalty area.
How do Arsenal’s other targets compare? Well, Barcola is among the finest 17% for progressive carries and Vini sits among the very best 1%.
Not many players on the planet come close to matching the Real superstar but in time, there is a sense that Yildiz could get there. He’s already ahead of Barcola for a host of important metrics.
This would be an exceptional signing if the Gunners can get it across the line.
