The summer transfer window is in full swing, and following the announcement of 18-year-old goalkeeper Lucas Nygaard on Thursday, Arsenal look set for a busy few months.
The Premier League runners-up have already been linked to a plethora of players this window, be that Benjamin Sesko of RB Leipzig, Viktor Gyokeres of Sporting CP, or, more recently, Paris Saint-Germain’s Dutch wonderkid Xavi Simons.
The latter would undoubtedly be a quality addition to the squad, but Mikel Arteta already has an incredibly talented young star at his disposal who is worth even more.
Bukayo Saka’s Arsenal career
The youngster in question is none other than Arsenal’s starboy Bukayo Saka, who, despite being in the spotlight for years at this point, is still just 22.
The Hale End superstar burst onto the scene for the Gunners under former manager Unai Emery in the 2018/19 season but truly began to make a name for himself under Arteta the following campaign.
In that first season under the Spaniard, the “outstanding” talent, as dubbed by club captain Martin Odegaard, scored four goals and provided 12 assists in 38 appearances, 17 of which came at left-back.
Over the following few years, the Ealing-born dynamo slowly moved to the right wing, where he has now established himself as arguably the first name on the team sheet for the North Londoners.
In all, he has made a frankly ridiculous 226 appearances for the Gunners, in which he has scored 58 goals and provided 53 assists.
|
Saka’s Arsenal career |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Season |
Appearances |
Goals |
Assists |
Goal Involvements per Match |
|
2018/19 |
4 |
0 |
0 |
0.00 |
|
2019/20 |
38 |
4 |
12 |
0.42 |
|
2020/21 |
46 |
7 |
9 |
0.34 |
|
2021/22 |
43 |
12 |
7 |
0.44 |
|
2022/23 |
48 |
15 |
11 |
0.54 |
|
2023/24 |
47 |
20 |
14 |
0.72 |
This means he’s averaged a goal involvement every 1.98 games in his senior career, and that includes the time he spent at left-back.
Alongside his undeniable importance to Arsenal, the “legend in the making,” as football talent scout Jacek Kulig described him, has become integral to Gareth Southgate’s England side. He’s won 36 senior caps, scored 11 goals, provided seven assists, and been named Player of the Year in successive years.
So, with all these accomplishments at just 22 years old, it shouldn’t be surprising that his valuation is so significant and significantly higher than Simons’.
Bukayo Saka’s valuation in 2024
Simons has been on fire over the last couple of seasons. In 2022/23, he racked up 34 goals and assists for PSV Eindhoven, and last season, he scored ten goals and provided 15 assists for RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga.
That means that, despite being just 21, the flying Dutchman has averaged a goal involvement every 1.30 games over the last two years, and now he’s playing at the Euros with the Netherlands.
This meteoric rise has caught the attention of clubs across the continent, including Arsenal, and based on recent reports, the youngster could be available for around £51m, which, while a hefty sum of money, is nowhere near the value of Saka.
According to Football Transfers, the England star is worth at least €106m, which converts to around £90m, and based on the price of transfers in recent seasons, that’s probably a rather conservative estimate.
Ultimately, the PSG gem is undoubtedly on track to reach superstar status in the game, but due to the sheer body of work behind Saka, it’s hard to deny he’d be worth every penny of his massive valuation.
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