Last season, Gabriel Martinelli was not at his best, but thanks to Leandro Trossard, the Belgian star stepped up and ensured the Arsenal left wing’s offensive threat remained. Looking at Trossard efficiently covering for Martinelli, you may understandably look at the right wing and wish Bukayo Saka could have his own Trossard.
If Arsenal want a Trossard-type player on the right wing, they can’t go wrong by signing Borussia Dortmund’s Donyell Malen. FBref evaluates players and groups based on their similarities, and in Malen’s case, they claim he is quite comparable to Trossard.
Looking at the table below, they are absolutely correct; the Dutchman provides nearly the same impact in the final third as Trossard.
Notably According to Bild, Arsenal is interested in Malen, and the German club is likely to consent to his transfer for £34 million.
While it may seem excessive to pay that much for a backup player, the potential benefits of the deal for Arsenal could justify it. Saka may not be at his best physically after playing more than 60 games between last season and the Euro finals. Managing Saka’s game time early in the season could be necessary to ease him into the team and prevent burnout; in this scenario, we would need a top player like Malen to fill in for him.
The Bundesliga star, who previously played for Arsenal, might be the ideal choice for Mikel Arteta to provide Saka with much needed rest. Despite his perceived role as a backup if he joins, his 15 goals and 5 assists in 38 games last season suggest he could pose a similar goal threat to Trossard on the field.
Sam P
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