And just like that, Arsenal are set to get their Premier League campaign underway later today.
Mikel Arteta and his side will be hoping it’s fourth time lucky this season, and they can finally get their hands on the trophy that has been tantalisingly close for some time now.
While it’s going to require a Herculean effort from the entire squad, the Gunners have put themselves in a good position with their transfer activity this summer.
The likes of Martin Zubimendi and Viktor Gyokeres could be real game-changers for them, and with two weeks until the window slams shut, there is time for Andrea Berta and Co to get a couple more stars through the doors, such as Rodrygo.
However, with the Real Madrid ace now being linked to other teams like Tottenham Hotspur and, most recently, Manchester City, Arsenal might be wise to shift their attention to another winger they’ve been linked with this summer, a winger who has previously been compared to Thierry Henry.
Why Arsenal would want to sign Rodrygo
While they have somewhat slowed down over the last couple of weeks, likely due to the supposed growing interest from other teams, the stories linking Rodrygo with Arsenal were relatively constant earlier in the window, with many suggesting he would be able to leave Spain for a fee of around £78m.
Now, that is undoubtedly an enormous sum of money for one player, but it’s not hard to see why the Gunners might be willing to spend so much on the Brazilian.
After all, he’s helped Real win two La Liga titles, two Champions League titles and a host of other trophies since moving to the club back in 2019.
On top of that, the 24-year-old has been a pretty reliable source of goals and assists in recent campaigns, scoring 14 of the former and providing 11 of the latter in 54 appearances last season.
Moreover, due to the other superstars in the side, the former Santos gem has been forced to play out of position for much of the last two years, making what he has achieved all the more impressive.
In short, Rodrygo is an effective winger with experience of playing at the very top of the game and winning the biggest prizes in club football.
However, as things stand, it doesn’t look like Arsenal are going to be the one to secure his services, and while that’s not ideal, they could forget all about him by going big for another winger touted for a move to N5 earlier this summer: Rafael Leao.
Why Arsenal should sign Leao
While they have not been as constant as with other targets and players of interest, there have been several stories linking Arsenal with a move for Leao this summer, with the price tending to be around the £77m mark.
Once again, that is a lot of money to spend on one player, but as is the case with Rodrygo, the AC Milan star would be worth every penny, and arguably a better signing than the Brazilian.
For example, despite playing for a team that struggled more than LOSC Lille last season, the former LOSC Lille ace still managed to score 12 goals and provide 13 assists in just 50 appearances.
In other words, the 26-year-old dynamo averaged a goal involvement every other game, compared to the Real man, who averaged one every 2.16 games.
On top of being a slightly more productive player, the Almada-born “superstar,” as dubbed by writer Theo Mwangi, is also likely to be the more entertaining winger to watch, and the data shows as much.
According to FBref, the Milan man ranks in the top 5% of attacking midfielders and wingers for successful take-ons per 90, whereas the Osasco-born international ranks in the top 20%.
Finally, if you still aren’t convinced that Leao is the man for Arteta and Co, then perhaps the words of his former manager, Stefano Pioli, will help.
It was back in 2022 that the Italian made the bold statement that his star winger “reminds me a lot of the early Thierry Henry, who started wide then came inside.”
While it might sound like a wild thing to say, given the Frenchman’s legacy in the game, it’s easy to see where he was coming from when you watch his highlights, as the Portuguese monster frequently gets down the left-hand side before cutting in and firing home.
Ultimately, while it would be an expensive deal, Arsenal should do what they can to bring Leao to the Emirates this summer, as he could end up being an even better signing than Rodrygo.
