Arsenal: Five wingers to target following Gabriel Jesus signing
Arsenal have been active in the transfer window and after completing the transfer of Gabriel Jesus, Mikel Arteta and Edu are moving on to other targets.
Gabriel Jesus has completed his move to the club as Arteta aims to improve his forward line.
Raphinha looked set to join from Leeds but in recent weeks, advances from Chelsea and his desire to join Barcelona have thrown cold water on any potential transfer for Arsenal.
Lisandro Martinez remains a target in defence, but if they are to miss out on Raphinha, other targets will have to be swiftly acted upon.
With the winger unlikely to join fellow Brazilian international Jesus at the North London club, who else should they look at?
Moussa Diaby
- Current Club: Bayer Leverkusen
France international Moussa Diaby had a fantastic 2021/22 season in the Bundesliga with Bayer Leverkusen.
The 22-year-old finished his Bundesliga campaign with 13 goals and 12 assists overall, as Leverkusen finished 3rd in the league. Alongside Florian Wirtz, who is currently side-lined with an ACL injury until next year, Diaby was one of the shining lights of manager Gerardo Seoane’s debut campaign in the Bundesliga.
Although normally deployed as a left winger, Diaby has had significant minutes on the right wing as well. Born in Paris, Diaby came up through the Paris Saint-Germain academy and after breaking through to the senior setup, he made the move to Leverkusen in the summer of 2019.
Since then, Diaby has shown consistently strong underlying numbers averaging atleast 0.45 npxG+xA in his first two seasons, before stepping up a gear in 21/22.
Only Christopher Nkunku and Kylian Mbappe bettered Diaby in both goals and assists for players across Europe under the age of 23, underlining Diaby’s tremendous improvement in output.
A left-footer by trade, Diaby’s ability to evade markers from deeper positions into space in behind was a trademark sight for Leverkusen fans during the 21/22 season.
The France international’s close control is a feature of his ability to carry the ball progressively up the pitch and then take a shot himself or create chances for others.
When deployed on the left, Diaby finds pockets of space in behind the opposition fullback to penetrate the box and fire shots away with great accuracy.
In contrast, on the right, he is more unpredictable on the right where has the option to either cut inside into the box to take shots himself or go on the outside of his marker and cross with his right.
In fact, according to Statsbomb via FBref, Diaby was third in the Bundesliga for expected assists (xA), with 0.30 xA per90, only behind Nkunku and Wirtz.
To add further context to the effectiveness of his carrying, Diaby was Europe’s leading assist maker from carries as per the Analyst, assisting 8 goals following a ball carry, only Mbappe matched up to that number.
He also had the most key passes following a carry in the Bundesliga, totalling 25 across the season, further highlighting his ability in possession. Diaby combines frightening pace on the break with a composure around the penalty area that only few can match.
His awareness and ability to link with fellow attackers is also another facet of his game that stands out.
All of these attributes make him an excellent fit for Arsenal, however, with his contract expiring in 2025, the Gunners may have to spend more than they are comfortable with to seal the deal.
Harvey Barnes
- Current club: Leicester
The next to feature on the list is Leicester's Harvey Barnes whose stock has been growing gradually in recent seasons.
The 24-year-old England international finished the 21/22 season with six goals and ten assists to his name in the Premier League, level with Mason Mount for ten assists amongst U23 players in the league.
Barnes’ directness is a feature of his style of play. He is able to receive the ball to feet by dropping deep or even in behind when exploiting space. In possession, Barnes looks to take on his markers and cut inside onto his stronger right foot.
He has primarily been used on the left wing by Brendan Rodgers from where he is able to drive either into the half-spaces or get to the by-line to link-up with the likes of Jamie Vardy.
Barnes is most effective when given the freedom to run in behind get shots away or create chances for his fellow attackers by cutting inside. Though he has occasionally used his left to cross the ball as well.
Averaging 2.77 shots per game, Barnes is not shy to shoot and take a chance from range if and when he sees the opportunity to do so. In terms of his underlying numbers, Barnes averaged 0.45 xG+xA per match in 21/22, according to data from Infogol.
The Foxes’ star uses his physicality and pacy carrying to speed past markers into dangerous positions to either find his team-mates or take shots himself. According to the Analyst, Barnes led the league for assists following a ball carry with six in total.
Without being hugely creative, Barnes’ characteristics as a direct wide forward make him a delight for playmakers like Martin Odegaard who will be able to find him in goal-scoring positions in and around the box.
According to Statsbomb via FBref, Barnes averaged 0.16 xA per match last season which placed him in the 46th percentile, just below average for a wide forward across the top five leagues.
Given that he’s just had a good season on an individual level, if Arsenal are to pursue him, they will have to pay the premium to get Leicester to agree. Nevertheless, he will certainly add great value to Arsenal’s attack.
Michael Olise
- Current club: Crystal Palace
Very different from the first two picks in this piece, Michael Olise is a talent on the up and it is no exaggeration to say that he could soon become one of the best wide creators in the Premier League.
After lighting up the Sky Bet Championship with Reading in 20/21, Olise made the step up to life in the top flight with Patrick Vieira’s new-look Crystal Palace. The Frenchman finished the season with just two goals and five assists overall.
Nevertheless, there is huge potential in him to grow even further as an attacker and Arsenal could be the perfect next step for him in his development.
Very different from most wide forwards across the league, Olise is more measured about the way he reads the game and takes his time with decisions on the ball. He is a true delight to watch in possession and makes the game look effortless.
In his first season in the Premier League, Olise managed to average 0.27 xA per match which placed him in the 87th percentile for that metric when compared to his positional peers across the top five leagues.
In stark contrast, his underlying numbers when it comes to shooting are not a great read, which is likely more down to his role at Palace where is tasked with servicing the likes of Christian Benteke, Odsonne Edouard and Conor Gallagher, amongst others.
From deeper areas, Olise is able to carry the ball and go higher up the pitch to exploit gaps on the counter attack. Then, he is also clever between the lines and is more than willing to try riskier passes, which goes some way to explaining his 72.5% pass completion rate. Additionally, his ability to progress the ball is immense.
Last season, he averaged 5.13 progressive passes per match, this placed him in the 89th percentile for all wingers across the top five leagues. On top of that, he was even more effective whilst carrying, averaging 9.54 progressive carries per match, for which he is in the 95th percentile of all wingers.
Attempting to sign him this summer might the smarter play for Arsenal given that his stock is definitely going to rise even further this season and he might become less realistic financially next season.
Serge Gnabry
- Current club: Bayern Munich
A former Arsenal academy player himself, Serge Gnabry has grown to incredible heights since leaving the Gunners in 2016 for German football.
Now, the 26-year-old is comfortably one of the best all-round wide forwards across the top five leagues and ended the 21/22 season with 14 goals and five assists to his name, helping Julian Nagelsmann to a title in his debut season as the manager.
Entering the final year of his contract and appearing unwilling to extend with Bayern, it seems like Gnabry would be available for the right fit and a return to Arsenal may be the best thing for him.
Incredibly enough, every season since he’s left Arsenal, Gnabry has delivered ten goals or more, even reaching double figures for both goals and assists in 19/20.
Gnabry is already at the level where he slots straight into Arteta’s starting XI and improves the team greatly. His ability to do everything asked of an attacker at the highest level is a result of years of playing at Bayern under some of the best coaches in the world.
Although primarily a right sided wide forward, Gnabry is also comfortable playing on the left and that kind of versatility will no doubt make him all the more valuable for Arsenal. The German international can dribble, create and finish either by himself or in combination with his team-mates to devastating effect.
He is an effective ball carrier as well and off the ball, often finds himself in dangerous areas to attack space in behind. According to Statsbomb via FBref, he received 8.99 progressive passes per match on average in the Bundesliga, placing him in the 92nd percentile for that metric.
In terms of open-play shot creation, he topped the Bundesliga charts for xA as per the Analyst, averaging 0.47 open-play xA per match ahead of the likes of Thomas Muller and Wirtz.
With so many different parts to his game that will no doubt translate well to any of the top five leagues, targeting him feels like a no-brainer this summer.
With his contract expiring in 2023, the transfer fee might not be such a concern for the Gunners, however, the wages could very well be.
Having off-loaded high earners in the past couple of windows, Arsenal will need to be careful not to break that wage structure but if that can be managed, Gnabry would undoubtedly prove to be an excellent signing.
Antony
- Current club: Ajax
This is by far the most left-field pick of the bunch, but Ajax’s Antony is one name that has rarely been mentioned in Arsenal circles.
The Brazilian has been strongly linked with a move to rivals Manchester United but with negotiations for Frenkie de Jong taking longer than expected, the Old Trafford club have not been able to move on other targets, including Antony.
This could present the best opportunity for Arsenal to sneak into the picture and make their offer for the winger. Though they have been rumoured to be linked with Martinez at Ajax, Antony is one who has a very high ceiling as an attacker.
Joining from Sao Paulo in 2020, Antony has improved greatly by honing his talents in the Eredivisie for the past two seasons. He scored eight goals and set up a further four as Erik ten Hag guided the club to another title before departing for Manchester United.
Antony’s style of play has grown since his days at Sao Paulo and although he still retains some of the South American flair in his approach towards taking on defenders and dribbling past them, there is now a maturity in his game thanks to his time so far at Ajax.
Playing in a possession-based system where more often that not, you are required to break down low-blocks, Antony’s one-v-one skills are no doubt a huge bonus.
In addition to that, Antony also has a great eye for a pass from the half-spaces to find targets for headers in the box. He combines a silky first touch with pinpoint delivery with his lethal left foot. That left foot can be his strength and weakness too.
The 22-year-old can sometimes be found overly reliant on his left foot to manipulate the ball, but the fact that he is so effective with in possession combined with his electric pace, makes him almost impossible to stop sometimes.
Primarily a right sided winger, Antony often likes to cut inside onto his left foot to drive towards the opposition penalty area before getting shots away or providing chances for his team-mates. Another trademark move of his is using the outside-of-the-boot to great effect in the final third.
He provided glimpses of his talents once again in the UEFA Champions League this season and scoring twice and assisting five as Ajax crashed out in the round of 16 to Benfica.
His characteristics as a direct wide forward educated in the Ajax system make him the perfect profile for a winger in Arteta’s system but with Manchester United looking comfortably in the lead for him, Edu and Arteta will have to act fast.
Callum Hudson-Odoi is another wildcard pick that Arteta could go for but given his connections with Chelsea, it is unlikely that he would join the Gunners.
As for missing out on Raphinha, Arsenal may still benefit if they choose to go for any of the aforementioned signings and add quality as well as depth ahead of a difficult 22/23 season.