Bukayo Saka is back and he's back at just the right time. Who else was going to score the goal that took Arsenal to a first Champions League final in 20 years?
It may well have been an easy finish from close range that sent Atletico packing but the importance of the goal was colossal. It was by far his most crucial in Arsenal colours yet.
Saka-Arsenal-Calafiori
Without the club's number 7, who knows where they would be. He has saved Mikel Arteta on countless occasions and he popped up with the goods yet again on Tuesday night.
His return to form is incredibly timely. Against Fulham at the weekend he scored and assisted en route to winning 3-0 and putting the club back in pole position to win the Premier League. Just a matter of days later, he was on the scoresheet again, coming up trumps when it mattered most.
How Arteta and Co must crave a player of similar standing on the left wing.
The latest on Arsenal's pursuit of a new winger
Andrea Berta worked incredibly hard to bolster the Arsenal squad last summer and it's nearly time to do it all over again.
This time the biggest priority is adding a left-sided forward, someone who can emulate Saka on the opposing flank. Newcastle United's Anthony Gordon continues to be linked although the feeling is that Bayern Munich are in pole position to snap him up.
Newcastle United's Anthony Gordon applauds fans after the match
PSG's Khvicha Kvaratskhelia has also been the subject of interest, although that one seems farfetched considering his form for PSG this season.
As a result, they could well turn to AC Milan's Rafael Leao in a bid to improve their options. That's according to the Daily Mail who not only note that Arsenal are keeping a watchful eye on Marcus Rashford's situation but that they are also looking at Leao.
It's reported that Milan are willing to sell their star winger this summer and are ready to accept offers between £50m-£60m this summer.
AC Milan's Rafael Leao
AC Milan's Rafael Leao
Manchester United and Liverpool are also said to be in the race to secure the Portuguese forward's signature.
Why Rafael Leao could be Arsenal's new Saka
With Saka out of form and struggling with fitness in 2026, is it any real surprise that for a period of time, the Gunners struggled to score goals? Arguably not.
That said, while Viktor Gyokeres has scored 21 times this season and Saka is now returning to prominence, they have not had much help from elsewhere.
Saka-Arsenal-1
To his credit, Leandro Trossard has hit a strong patch himself. He assisted Gyokeres' second goal last weekend and completed a career-high tally of six dribbles. It was the most take-ons completed by any player in the Premier League this campaign.
Yet, the fact remains that the left side of Arteta's attack is a big issue. Trossard has not scored in his last 24 matches now. He has not found the net at all in 2026. As for Gabriel Martinelli, he is the club's joint second top scorer with 11 goals but only one of them has come in league action.
The fact Arsenal are nearly seven years into the project and Martinelli and Trossard are still the primary options in that position is a worry. They are crying out for a new Saka, a version of Saka to play on the left flank.
Arsenal's wingers in 2025/26
Player
Gabriel Martinelli
Bukayo Saka
Leandro Trossard
Noni Madueke
Max Dowman
Leao could be that man. Described as "one of the best left wingers in the world" by Como scout Ben Mattinson, the Portugal international is a truly menacing winger, a captivating talent who not only scores goals but creates them too.
This season, the 26-year-old has scored ten goals and registered three assists in 29 performances but that does not paint the full picture. Indeed, this is a player who has scored over 12 times in each of the last four seasons. Last term he got 12 and also posted 13 assists.
Rafael Leao goal tallies (timeless)
A threat in so many ways, former Milan boss Stefano Pioli previously suggested that the winger reminds him of an "early Thierry Henry" due to his knack for drifting inside from his wide role.
Like Saka, he is incredibly dangerous when it comes to cutting inside from the flanks. He's got long strides that help him explode past defenders and he's one of the most direct forwards in the world.
Compared to positionally similar players in Europe's top five leagues, the attacker ranks inside the best 3% of players for progressive carries, the top 5% for progressive actions and best 8% for progressive passes.
What this tells us is that the Serie A sensation is always forward thinking. Similarly to Saka, his first thought when he gets the ball is all about how he can get into dangerous areas as quickly and as efficiently as possible.
He's quick, he's creative, he can score goals and he can leave a man for dead with his dribbling. For a price around £50m-£60m, this would represent a bargain for one of the games' elite wingers.
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Arsenal are Champions League finalists for the first time in 20 years.