As good a team as Arsenal are, there has been one key factor in their failure to get over the line in the last few years: a lack of genuine attacking threat across the whole frontline.
Now, nobody can question the incredible talismanic abilities of Bukayo Saka, but it has to be said that down the middle and increasingly off the left, the North Londoners are lacking.
For example, despite them still being second in the Premier League, Liverpool, Manchester City, and Newcastle United have all scored more than them.
Arteta-Saka
So, with that in mind, it's not a surprise to see the team linked to an array of incredible wingers, including one who has won comparisons to the likes of Vinícius Junior and Lamine Yamal.
Arsenal transfer targets
The last few weeks have seen Arsenal linked with a whole host of incredible stars, so before getting to the player in question, it's worth taking a look at some of their other supposed targets, like Rayan Cherki and Liam Delap.
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The former could be available for around £30m this summer, so that, combined with his ability to play in multiple positions and brilliant haul of 31 goal involvements in 42 games this season, makes signing him feel like a no-brainer.
It's a similar situation regarding Delap, as even though he's not been quite as prolific, he's still been able to amass an impressive tally of 12 goals and two assists in just 34 top-flight games this season, so his £30m release clause also feels too good to pass up on.
liam delap
However, while both players have an immense amount of potential, Arteta and Co might be after someone already near the pinnacle of his game, someone like Rafael Leão.
Yes, according to a report from Spain last month, Arsenal are one of several teams keen on the AC Milan superstar ahead of the summer transfer window.
However, the North Londoners are not alone in their appreciation for the Portuguse superstar, as a more recent report from Caught Offside has also credited Chelsea with an interest in the winger, who they claim could be available for as little as €75m, which is about £64m.
It would be a complicated transfer to get over the line, but given Leão's immense ability, one well worth fighting for, especially as he's won comparisons to Yamal and Vinicius in the past.
How Leão compares to Vinicius and Yamal
So, before we get into the other reasons why Arsenal should be going all out to sign Leão this summer, it's worth addressing these comparisons to Vinicius and Yamal and where they come from.
vinicius-yamal
Well, in this instance, they stem from FBref, which looks at players in similar positions in Europe's top five leagues, the Champions League and Europa League, and then creates a list of the ten most comparable players for each one.
In this instance, they have concluded that the Real Madrid star is the second most similar attacking midfielder or winger to the Milan star across all of those competitions, while the Barcelona star has been ranked as the seventh most similar in this season's Champions League.
Leão & Vinicius
Statistics per 90
Expected Assists
Goals per Shot
Goals per Shot on Target
Crosses into the Penalty Area
Successful Take-ons
Live Passes
All Stats via FBref for the 24/25 Season
The best way to see how these conclusions have been reached is to look at the players' underlying numbers and find the metrics in which they rank closely.
In the case of Vinicius, those metrics include things like expected passes, goals per shot and shots on target, crosses into the penalty area, successful take-ons and more, all per 90.
Leão**&** Yamal
Statistics per 90
Expected Assists
Passing Accuracy
Key Passes
Successful Take-ons
Carries into the Final Third
All Stats via FBref for the 24/25 UCL Season
For the comparison with Barça's young superstar, the metrics include things like passing accuracy, expected assists, carries into the final third, key passes, successful take-ons, and more, all per 90.
The fact the 25-year-old shares an ability to take players on and beat them with two of the best players in the game is hardly surprising, as FBref place him in the top 4% of wingers for successful take-ons in Europe's top five leagues, and The Athletic's Alex Barker has called him "one of the best dribblers in the world."
Finally, away from the incredibly flattering and promising comparisons, another reason Arteta should go out and sign the former LOSC Lille star is his output.
So far this season, the Almada-born dynamo has scored 12 goals and provided 13 assists in 48 appearances, which works out to an impressive average of a goal involvement every 1.92 games - something the Gunners could really do with off the left.
AC Milan's Rafael Leao reacts
Ultimately, while it wouldn't be cheap, Arsenal should be doing all they can to sign Leão once the window opens, as his output and technical mastery could help propel the club to glory.
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The free-scoring forward could be just what Arsenal need.