Mikel Arteta and Eddie Howe are readying Premier League and Champions League challenges
Though the transfer window is on a break right now, Arsenal’s pursuit of a world-class left-winger shows no signs of slowing down and as their pursuits of Jamie Gittens, Rodrygo and Nico Williams falter a new name has entered the picture - an England star plying his trade at a Premier League and Champions League rival no less.
Arsenal were the most right-wing team in the Premier League, apart from Chelsea for slightly different reasons, as they launched 43% of attacks down that flank despite Saka and Odegaard only playing together 19 times (and just one full 90 minutes).
Even without the eye test, in big games like the PSG Champions League semi-final it was painfully obvious how one-dimensional Arsenal’s goal threat was. In the second leg Saka had over twice as many touches in Donnarumma’s box as the next best Gunner and the rest of the starting attack (Odegaard, Gabriel Martinelli and Mikel Merino) combined for less than the Englishman.
He also led the Arsenal for shots, shots on target, progressive carries, shot-creating actions and obviously goals in Paris, despite facing the toughest one-on-one of the night in Nuno Mendes, as the Gunners were dumped out by a bonafide European giant for the second season running.
So where should the most right-sided team in the league look in the transfer market to re-balance the side? The obvious answer is finding the left-winger from the team that was most dominant on the opposite flank and poach him, or sign Rodrygo and just win the Champions League instead.
And aptly for the birthplace of the Jarrow March, Newcastle United and Anthony Gordon made 45% of their attacks down the left wing, the highest in the Premier League (number two in the top flight was also a fitting team in Liverpool), and luckily enough they may be in the mood to sell if Arsenal stump up £80m.
However, Mikel Arteta could push that figure down by offering a player in return and with Newcastle hunting another forward to rotate with Alexander Isak, Kai Havertz could be the perfect solution.
Anthony Gordon would solve Arsenal’s left-wing woes
Newcastle were widely ridiculed by rival fans for forking out £45m on Gordon in January 2023, after a return of just 15 goal contributions in 78 matches for Everton. He’d scored four and assisted two in his last full season at Goodison Park and looked on track to produce similar numbers before the Magpies swooped.
Before that he’d had a loan spell at Preston North End so incredibly underwhelming that most Lilywhite supporters had forgotten he was even at the club (his sole mark in the stats sheet was picking up a yellow card in 513 minutes) - later Liam Delap would follow in his footsteps as failing to fire at Deepdale before igniting in the Premier League and landing a mega-money move.
But those jokers weren’t laughing so hard in Gordon’s first full season at St James’ Park when he fired home 11 goals and assisted 15 more in the Premier League to earn a call-up to England’s 2024 Euros squad.
This season Gordon was slightly less spectacular as opponents paid him more respect, combining for 16 goal contributions in all competitions, but he retains the scorching pace, tricky dribbling, work-rate and multi-tool ability inside the box that made him such a danger in 2023/24.
Looking at Gordon’s numbers from that season, there’s not many stats that really jump off the page. He wasn’t one of the absolute best Premier League wingers or attackers for crosses into the box, progressive carries, take-ons, his defensive figures are definitely solid but not the best of the best.
Rather, Gordon is a jack of all trades, master of creating goals. In the top three percent of Premier League players in his position for goal-creating actions that campaign, he simply offers a well-rounded threat (and won more penalties than almost anyone else) with the ability to hurt the opposition by offering up a headed chance for Isak, driving to the byline and cutting the ball back on his stronger right foot or shooting and scoring himself.
It probably doesn’t hurt that he dovetailed so well with a striker in a similar mould to Arteta’s top target Benjamin Sesko either, though Isak is undoubtedly closer to the finished article.
Kai Havertz fills major need for Newcastle
Beyond looking to sign a star centre-back like Marc Guehi, Eddie Howe’s main priority on the offensive this summer is adding depth to his squad in light of the way fighting on two fronts decimated the Magpies last time they were in the Champions League.
Near the top of the list is a new forward to compete with Isak, with Callum Wilson’s career leading the line at the top level seemingly coming to an end. And Havertz would be a brilliant addition in that regard, with his versatility enabling him to provide cover across the forward line including as the front-man.
The German has become more and more of a scorer and less of a creator as his career has progressed, with his goals:assists ratio becoming more weighted towards the former across stints at Bayer Leverkusen, Chelsea and Arsenal.
Havertz will never be a prolific goalscorer but he is a big-game player and can produce under the brightest lights having scored the goal that won Chelsea the Champions League in 2021 and started all five of Germany’s Euro 2024 matches in an incredibly competitive attack. Newcastle must look no further than Villa Park and Jhon Duran to see the difference such an impact player can make in Europe.
Newcastle are attempting to protect as many stars as they can ahead of their return to the Champions League but Howe can only do so much. Isak is his number one priority and looks set to stay on Tyneside but Tino Livramento and Bruno Guimares are also higher up on Howe’s list than Gordon, who Newcastle could make an almost 200% profit on.
Havertz would fill an important need for Newcastle and with three years remaining on his contract he’d likely be available for around £50-60m. That would mean Newcastle could still pocket a healthy amount of cash - likely around two-thirds of what they paid for Gordon in the first place - ease their PSR worries and gain a star proven in the Premier League and Champions League while Arsenal would solve their attacking woes in a heartbeat, a win-win.
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