BETTER THAN MARTINELLI: WHY ARSENAL LEADS THE £88M RACE FOR KENAN YıLDıZ
Arsenal leads the race for Juventus star Kenan Yıldız. Is the £88m wonderkid the key to unlocking Arteta's stalling attack?
Arsenal is leading both the Premier League and Champions League right now, but their play hasn't been great lately.
One reason could be tiredness. They've had some really tough games in the past month or so.
Plus, injuries have forced Mikel Arteta to keep changing his defence for each game.
But a bigger worry is their attack just doesn't flow as well. Bukayo Saka is still playing great, but Viktor Gyokeres and Gabriel Martinelli haven't been. There are whispers Arsenal might want to find someone better than Martinelli next month.
Arsenal Eyes Yıldız to Boost Attack
Arsenal has had one of the best defences in the Premier League for years, but they don't score the most goals.
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Last year, they scored 17 fewer goals than Liverpool. The year before, they scored five fewer than Manchester City.
Getting Gyokeres this summer was supposed to fix that, but he's struggling to score. It seems like Arsenal wants another player on the left side to help out.
A report from Caught Offside says Arsenal is still very keen on Kenan Yıldız.
The story says Arsenal is 'leading the interest' and trying to get him because his contract talks with Juventus have stopped. Chelsea is also interested.
The report also mentions Arsenal has spoken directly with Yıldız's agent, Jorge Mendes.
The price is unknown, but earlier reports said it might take around £88m to get Juventus to sell.
It would be an expensive deal, but Yıldız is worth the effort because he's better than Martinelli.
Yıldız vs. Martinelli: By the Numbers
Yıldız can play well in different positions, whether on the right or in the middle.
Bukayo Saka and Noni Madueke are on the right, and Martin Odegaard and Eberechi Eze play in the middle. It seems like Yıldız's best spot on the Arsenal team would be on the left.
That means he'd be competing with Martinelli, and he'd probably win based on their stats.
Last year, Yıldız, who is 20, scored 12 goals and had nine assists in 52 games. That's a goal involvement every 2.47 games.
Martinelli scored ten goals and got six assists in 51 games. That's a goal involvement every 3.18 games, which isn't as good.
This season, Martinelli has seven goal involvements in 18 games, which is one every 2.57 games. Still not as good.
Yıldız has 12 goal involvements in 21 games, which is one every 1.75 games. He himself even said he's considered one of the best talents in Europe.
Even the underlying numbers say Yıldız is better. According to FBref, he's ahead in non-penalty goals plus assists, shots and goal-creating actions, ball recoveries, successful take-ons, and other stats, all per 90 minutes.
Martinelli is a good player who can still help Arsenal this season. But if Arsenal can sign Yıldız, they should do it. He's clearly better in almost every way.
WHAT IS THE "AURA" MIKEL ARTETA SEES IN BUKAYO SAKA’S RECENT PERFORMANCES?
"He shifts momentum." Read Mikel Arteta’s full analysis of Bukayo Saka’s importance ahead of the crucial West Ham showdown.
Mikel Arteta sees something special in Bukayo Saka’s presence on the pitch, an “aura” that he believes could drive Arsenal toward a Premier League title, just three games away from ending a 22-year wait.
During Saka’s recent absence with an Achilles injury, Arsenal managed only a single win in five matches. His return, however, seemed to breathe new life into the squad. Saka set up Viktor Gyokeres for the opener before scoring himself in a solid 3-0 victory over Fulham last weekend.
More crucially, Saka netted the decisive goal that helped Arsenal secure a 2-1 aggregate win over Atlético Madrid, booking their first Champions League final appearance since 2006.
Since making his debut for the Gunners seven years ago, the England international now carries the hopes of pushing Arsenal for vital points, starting with a key clash against relegation-threatened West Ham at the London Stadium, followed by matches against Burnley at home and Crystal Palace away on the season’s final day.
When asked about Saka’s importance, Arteta highlighted the growing role he plays not just within the team but also in how opponents see him. There’s a clear presence, a certain quality that sets him apart. According to Arteta, Saka can shift a game’s momentum at any time, and instilling that kind of respect or even fear in the opposition is invaluable.
Arteta also touched on managing Saka’s comeback after injury, emphasising the idea of channelling fresh energy and motivation into his performance rather than rushing him back too soon. He described it as a privilege to have a player like Saka, someone who embodies core values and principles, both on and off the pitch. Beyond the football, there’s a human connection that makes working with him rewarding. What Saka showed, especially in the recent Champions League semifinal, was nothing short of remarkable.
Alongside Saka, Declan Rice has also become a pivotal figure since his £100 million move from West Ham last year. Now 27, Rice will make his 59th appearance of the season when Arsenal faces his former club on Sunday. His impact has been significant, earning him runner-up in the Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year award behind Bruno Fernandes.
Arteta praised Rice as a key leader and a major force for the team, underlining the powerful role he plays as Arsenal chase success this season.
WHY DID JURRIEN TIMBER’S "SIMPLE" INJURY TURN INTO A SEASON-ENDING MEDICAL MYSTERY?
After reaching the Champions League final, Arsenal face a fitness race for key stars ahead of their clash with West Ham.
Mikel Arteta has admitted that both Mikel Merino and Jurrien Timber are running out of time to get fit before the season ends – a tough setback for Arsenal right now.
Both have been out for weeks, dealing with foot and ankle injuries. The hope was always that they’d be back for the final stretch, giving Arsenal a boost when it matters most. This week, Merino at least made it back onto the training pitch, but Arteta has confirmed neither he nor Timber will be involved in Sunday’s big match against West Ham.
Arteta said he has no new injury problems elsewhere, but for Merino or Timber to play before the end of the season, their recoveries would have to be almost perfect. Timber’s situation in particular has turned out to be more complicated than they first thought.
“That’s probably been the hardest part for everyone. For me, for the player,” Arteta said. “We really didn’t think it would take this long, and he’s still not ready.”
Meanwhile, things are going well for Arsenal on the pitch. They’ve pulled five points clear at the top of the Premier League, and they just beat Atletico Madrid, booking a spot in their first Champions League final in two decades.
There’s still a twist, though. Manchester City play Brentford first this weekend, and they still have a game in hand. Even so, if Arsenal win their last three matches, the title is theirs.
Next up is West Ham, who are fighting to avoid relegation and could easily trip Arsenal up. Arteta knows his team can’t afford any slip-ups. “After the Atletico win, I was completely caught up in the emotion. You could feel what it meant to everyone fans and the staff. But straight after, my focus went to West Ham,” he said.
“We talked as a team about how we’ve earned the chance to be in the final, and we have time to get ready, but right now, all our focus and all the details need to go into West Ham.”
