Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka had a rather strange summer and that’s putting it lightly.
In truth, he barely kicked a ball for England at the World Cup as they managed an Achilles issue but he still had time to pop up with a hat-trick in the third-place play-off game.
Despite a three week break, Saka has continued that form at the beginning of the new season, in the right place at the right time to score the club’s second goal in the 3-0 win over Coventry last Friday.
It was vital that the 24-year-old started the campaign in form, as 2025/26 was a rather disappointing one as far as his individual performances were concerned.
Why Bukayo Saka will be Arsenal’s key man again
No player has played more games (294), scored more goals (79) or registered more assists (77) during the Mikel Arteta era than Saka.
He has been vitally important for the Gunners but his influence levels did fall last term. It was Saka’s worst season in five years, scoring just 11 goals and supplying nine assists.
Those are not awful numbers but they are figures you would usually associate with Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli, rather than their star winger.
Indeed, despite winning the Premier League, Saka was surpassed as the club’s star player. During their title triumph, the likes of Gabriel Magalhaes, Declan Rice and David Raya were all more important. The fact they made the PFA Team of the Season and Saka did not spoke volumes.
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PFA Premier League TOTY 2025/26 |
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GK – David Raya |
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RB – Jurrien Timber |
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CB – William Saliba |
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CB – Gabriel Magalhaes |
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LB – Nico O’Reilly |
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CM – Declan Rice |
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CM – Bruno Fernandes |
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RW – Rayan Cherki |
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LW – Antoine Semenyo |
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CF – Igor Thiago |
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CF – Erling Haaland |
Yet, in 2026/27, the England international wants his crown back. Rice and the backline will no doubt be imperative again but if they are to win the Premier League for a successive year and potentially even go one better by lifting the Champions League, they will need Saka at his best.
His performance against Coventry, albeit they are a newly-promoted side, was evidence of a player rediscovering his mojo.
He scored from close range, took three shots, supplied two key passes and managed as many as five progressive carries. That was better than his 2025/26 average of 4.77 progressive carries per 90 minutes.
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.
All that said, if Arsenal are win major silverware, Saka will need more help in attack. That hasn’t always been too forthcoming.
How Arsenal can give Saka more help
In the form of Christos Tzolis, Arteta and Co may well have found a player capable of matching Saka’s level of output.
Last term, the former Club Brugge man scored 22 goals and supplied 29 assists in all competitions. It’s unlikely he’ll get near that again during his first year in London but he has been incredibly productive.
Tzolis scored against Girona in pre-season before registering assists against Real Betis and Borussia Dortmund. In competitive action, he’s already picked up two assists, supplying Kai Havertz and Martin Odegaard in the Community Shield.
However, with Martinelli bound for Saudi Arabia, a replacement should be sought. With Bradley Barcola and Vinicius Junior now both off the table, who better than Everton’s Iliman Ndiaye?
Reports this week have indicated that the Gunners could be ready to make a move for the Senegalese winger who is valued at a whopping £80m.
The latest on their pursuit of the Toffees wide man comes courtesy of reporter Ben Jacobs who has stated on talkSPORT on Thursday morning: “Everton tried to renew his contract earlier in the window and the player said no. I don’t think that is going to change. Arsenal are one to watch. Interestingly in the last few days the player has rejected a move to Al-Hilal to prioritise staying within the Premier League. That can be defined as staying at Everton this season or potentially being open to Arsenal.”
While £80m would be a lot to pay for a player who scored just six goals last term, there is so much to like about a player who is also being coveted by Manchester City.
His output may not be at the level of peak Saka but he is just so dangerous, so much so that Arsenal writer and content creator Harvey Diamonds hailed him as “one of the best left wingers in the Premier League” this summer.
Why is that the case? Well, when it comes to dribbling, Ndiaye is one of the best not just in the English top-flight, but also across Europe’s top five leagues.
All told, Ndiaye completed as many as 70 dribbles in league action last term. It’s more than Saka’s tally of 54 and more than Michael Olise (63) and just three behind the great Kylian Mbappe (73).
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Most dribbles in Europe’s big leagues – 2025/26 |
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Player |
Dribble tally |
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1) Lamine Yamal |
127 |
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2) Yan Diomande |
115 |
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3) Vinicius Junior |
85 |
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4) Kenan Yildiz |
78 |
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5) Jeremy Doku |
77 |
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6) Kylian Mbappe |
73 |
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7) Iliman Ndiaye |
70 |
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8) Yann Gboho |
70 |
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9) Victor Munoz |
69 |
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10) Antonio Nusa |
68 |
To put it simply, he is one of the best dribblers in world football, a more direct and captivating winger than even Saka in that regard.
What has not helped his overall output is the team he is playing in. Now aged 26 and approaching the prime of his career, there is a belief that in a more ball dominant and better team, Ndiaye’s goal involvements could soar to new heights.
He’s got all of the tools to become a key player for a top Premier League team and together with Tzolis, Arsenal’s left flank could look far more exciting than it did with Martinelli and Trossard out there.
