Arsenal have a big summer ahead of them. For the third season in a row, they will finish second in the Premier League.
Under Mikel Arteta, they have come so far, and yet the Gunners have picked up the unwanted reputation of being 'nearly men'. Reaching the Champions League and League Cup semi-finals, has only added to that.
The good news, however, is that more optimistic fans will be able to say their team only needs a few small tweaks to reach the next level. For instance, everybody knows the side could use more attacking depth. With that said, one linked target could change everything for the north London outfit.
Rodrygo Could Join Arsenal
Real Madrid winger linked with a summer exit
Rodrygo stats in his entire Madrid career
Hoping to address that, there have already been rumours linking Arsenal with Real Madrid winger Rodrygo. If the Gunners could pull off such a move, it would be a huge boost for the club as well as the players.
Having been dubbed a "world-class superstar" by his own teammate and past Ballon d'Or winner Luka Modric, there can be no doubting Rodrygo's level. That's why talk of a possible exit has alerted the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea, and Liverpool.
Since arriving at Real Madrid in 2019, the young winger has gone from strength to strength. The stats back this up too, as he's bagged 68 goals and 44 assists for Los Blancos, which is a goal involvement every 141 minutes.
Crucially, he's also made his time on the pitch count, picking up a whopping 13 trophies in that time.
arsenal manager mikel arteta Related
‘Best Striker in the World’ has 'Heart Set' on Joining Arsenal
Arsenal's search for a striker continues and one star is gunning for a move to the Gunners
Rodrygo Could Lift Arsenal to New Level
Bukayo Saka could benefit the most
How Rodrygo Will Help Saka push for Ballon d'Or
Rodrygo can deliver titles for Arsenal with his experience of winning La Liga and the Champions League
Will free up Saka as defenders won't want to risk doubling up on the Englishman if it means leaving Rodrygo free on the other flank
Will provide much-needed depth, allowing Saka to rest more (and avoid injuries, such as the hamstring issue he's had this season)
In 2025, Bukayo Saka has done enough to have his name mentioned briefly in the Ballon d'Or hunt, but he won't finish particularly close to the top bracket. With Rodrygo in the team, fans can expect him to race up the rankings and become a genuine challenger in 2026.
If the Brazilian can come in and prove to be the "world-class" talent he's often been at Real Madrid, his goals and assists could help Arsenal to titles. Having come so close to winning the Premier League and having made the Champions League semi-finals, the Gunners just need a little more quality to get across the line.
If they were to win either or both of those trophies, Saka would give his Ballon d'Or chances a massive boost.
Beyond that, Rodrygo's arrival would also help the Englishman reach new heights in his own game. For too long, Arsenal have been over-reliant on Saka. Opposing teams know to double, or even triple up on the Englishman, gambling that the Gunners won't be able to hurt them on the other flank.
Philipp Lahm explained how to stop Saka, saying: "He needs to be isolated [from his teammates]." However, if Rodrygo is standing on the left wing, defenders will be far less inclined to take the risk of blocking off the right-hand side in numbers. As such, the Englishman should have more freedom to do his thing.
Even without Rodrygo, Saka has proven to be one of the best wingers in the world, but his progress this season was sadly hampered by a nasty hamstring injury, which likely came about due to playing too many minutes. This is where the Real Madrid star can also help Saka.
After all, having spent much of his career playing on the right wing, Rodrygo can provide depth to the Arsenal squad. Or even if he starts on the left, Arteta could now call upon the likes of Gabriel Martinelli, Leandro Trossard and Ethan Nwaneri to come and take minutes off Saka when he needs a rest.
At Madrid, Rodrygo has won three La Liga titles and two Champions Leagues. He has helped facilitate bigger-name teammates such as Karim Benzema, Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior in their pushes for Ballon d'Or glory.
The 24-year-old will no doubt have his own ambitions, wherever he ends up this summer, but if he does sign for Arsenal, Saka's own Ballon d'Or hopes will be given a boost the moment pen is put to paper.
Stats via SofaScore -