Mikel Artetaplaceholder image
Mikel Arteta | AFP via Getty Images
Arsenal sorely need a new left winger this summer - and a transfer bid for one of Europe’s best could be on the cards.
Even though they remain in the driver’s seat in the Premier League, recent setbacks in cup competitions have highlighted some of Arsenal’s weaknesses – and if the Gunners don’t strengthen their squad in the coming summer transfer window, then it’s difficult to see Mikel Arteta turning this team into one which wins titles consistently. Theirs is a good side, but one which still needs plenty of work.
An imbalanced attacking unit is maybe their most significant problem. They have become overly reliant on the undeniably exceptional Bukayo Saka, and lack an equally gifted playmaker or goalscorer on the left flank. Gabriel Martinelli has failed to fulfil his potential, and while Leandro Trossard has his value, he isn’t a gamebreaker.
A gamebreaker is what Arsenal need – a player who can not only stretch defences but also share the goalscoring burden with Saka and the inconsistent Viktor Gyökeres. Luckily, one of the best possible options to plug that gap could be available this summer: AC Milan’s Rafael Leão.
Why Arsenal need a player like Rafael Leão
While Arsenal have scored plenty of goals this season, few would argue that they are scoring enough from open play – against sides which find ways to handle their set piece routines, they have come up short all too often.
Gyökeres has scored a respectable but not overwhelming 11 league goals, and Saka – hampered by persistent injuries – has managed six, as has Eberechi Eze. That isn’t really sufficient for a team with ambitions to become European champions. Martinelli, the player the Gunners had hoped would be their starting left winger for years to come, has managed just one in the top flight.
Granted, the Brazilian has been rather more successful in Europe, but there is little doubt that more is required from that half of the field. Even when Saka is fit, it’s too easy for defences to double up on him, knowing that they face less danger from the opposite flank if Arsenal can switch the play. Without that attacking balance, Arsenal can be too one-dimensional.
Leão offers a potential solution. The Milan winger has 80 goals in his 285 appearances for the Serie A side, a slightly better scoring ratio than even Saka has managed for Arsenal – and the Portuguese winger also has 64 assists over the same timeframe. That’s the kind of productivity that Arsenal crave.
Crucially, his playing style would likely mirror Saka’s rather neatly. Like the England international, the 26-year-old Leão can beat defenders both inside and outside, has the technique to take full-backs on, and can create opportunities by drifting inside to the centre of the field. More importantly, however, he’s a dangerous player in his own right who can and will score 10 or more goals a season.
Leão has, by his standards, had a relatively slow season, but his tally of 10 goals and two assists in 25 games would still make him one of Arsenal’s most potent players – and that relatively low number of assists is an anomaly in the context of his career as a whole. He has proven himself to be a hugely effective provider.
Just as importantly, he may actually be available this summer. Arsenal have been linked with Leão in the past (as have other elite sides) but Milan have shown little inclination to sell. That could change in 2026.
Why Arsenal could make Leão a Gunner this summer
While AC Milan’s sporting director, Igli Tare, has recently gone on record to talk about Leão’s continued importance to the club, a handful of stories – including a recent report from Football Transfers – suggest that they could be prepared to sell this summer, with Arsenal among the likely suitors if that proves to be the case.
Partly, that’s because Leão’s contract expires in 2028. With two years left on his current deal, AC Milan will need to sell sooner rather than later in order to get maximum value from a transfer. Try to hang on, and his price tag will slowly fall, and AC Milan, in common with other Serie A sides, need to raise funds from player sales whenever they can.
Milan won’t push to offload Leão and would prefer to extend his contract if they can, but if the player himself wants a new challenge, he will know that he is moving into a good position to engineer a move away. Whether he wants a move or not remains to be seen, but if he heads into the summer without a new deal, that would strongly suggest that he is happy to look at his options.
It’s been postulated that a fee of around €80m (£70m) would be sufficient to twist Milan’s arm. That’s not a pittance, by any stretch, but it’s a fee that’s within Arsenal’s means – and it’s a transfer that should land them precisely the sort of player that they need, and one who is entering his prime years.
There will be other options on the table for Arsenal, but few who would represent a better balance of proven production and relative affordability. They could take a chance and spend more on a young, ascending star like Yan Diomande, or they could try to economise, but that makes little sense given their current position. Arsenal need to press on now to maximise the window of opportunity they have to win silverware. A bid for Leão makes perfect sense given the Gunners’ needs this summer.
Continue Reading