If there is one area of the team Arsenal need to strengthen this summer, it’s the attack.
While Mikel Arteta’s side finished a distant second to Liverpool in the Premier League this season, they ended the campaign with a better defensive record than anyone in the league but with 17 fewer goals scored.
So, with this apparent weakness compared to their title rival, it’s hardly surprising to see the club linked with a host of talented strikers, like Benjamin Sesko, Viktor Gyokeres and Ollie Watkins, in recent weeks.
However, the North Londoners could also do with more options off the left, which would help to explain the links to a player who could be their next Lukas Podolski.
Arsenal's winger search
Before we get to the player in question, it’s worth going over some of the other wingers who have been linked with Arsenal this summer, like Nico Williams and Rodrygo.
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The former has been a long-term target for the club and has a release clause worth around £50m, which doesn’t seem too unreasonable for a 22-year-old international who racked up 18 goal involvements in 45 games this season.
Rodrygo, on the other hand, could cost as much as £85m, but considering he’d be moving from Real Madrid and has produced 24 goal involvements in 51 appearances this year.
However, while both players would be excellent additions to the Gunners’ squad, neither one can really be compared to Podolski, unlike Leroy Sané.
Interestingly, according to a recent report from German outlet BILD, the Bayern Munich star, who is out of contract this summer, could be on the move, and when it comes to English clubs, he would only be interested in joining Arsenal, with his desire to join North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur ‘low.’
It would appear as if there is some degree in the player from the Gunners as well, as earlier this week, it was fairly widely reported that talks had taken place between his representatives and the club.
It might not be the most exciting transfer, but Sané has more than proven himself over the years, and there are certain elements to this potential deal that could make him become a new Podolski for the club.
Why Sané could be Podolski 2.0
So, before getting into some of the other reasons why Sané would be a good signing, it’s worth addressing why we look at him as a potential Podolski 2.0.
The first is that both players would have joined the club from the Bundesliga as German internationals, and furthermore, while the former Gunners ace joined from Koln in 2012, he too had spent time and won titles with Bayern Munich.
Secondly, both players are positionally versatile, with the Bayern star mainly playing off the left but being able to play off the right as well, while the 40-year-old was also primarily a left-winger at the Emirates but has spent more time up top in his career.
On top of that, the pair are both left-footed, and while they can easily create and score goals, they have tended to favour the latter throughout their careers.
For example, the former Manchester City ace, whom talent scout Jacek Kulig dubbed “world-class,” has scored 133 goals and provided 125 assists in his 496 appearances, while the Koln legend has found the back of the 238 times and provided 138 assists in 700 games.
Appearances
200
210
Minutes
12501′
15482′
Goals
51
70
Assists
47
37
Goal Involvements per Game
0.49
0.50
Minutes per Goal Involvement
127.56′
144.69′
Appearances
90
60
Minutes
6089′
3268′
Goals
25
19
Assists
30
12
Goal Involvements per Game
0.61
0.51
Minutes per Goal Involvement
110.70′
105.41′
Last but not least, given the fact he’s 29 years old and would be joining for free, the Essen-born international could have a similar impact as his senior compatriot did at the club, in the sense that he could come in, spend a couple of seasons as a useful offensive option and then move on, without being a significant financial burden.
Ultimately, Sané is still a brilliant footballer, and considering he’d be available for free, bringing him to the club feels like a no-brainer for Arsenal.
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