Arsenal’s 1-0 victory away at Aston Villa on Saturday tightened their grip on a place inside the top four. As things stand, they’re three points clear of bitter rivals Tottenham in fifth, despite having played a game less.
It’s shaping up to be a really good campaign for Mikel Arteta’s men, with a return of Champions League football to the Emirates next season looking more and more likely. This is undoubtedly a huge positive from an Arsenal perspective, yet there is a downside to the Gunners’ onfield improvements.
Top European sides are now taking a closer look at some of Arsenal’s most promising young players, and there is a risk that Arteta will be fighting interest for a number of his key stars in the summer.
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We’ve already seen reports in recent weeks stating that Liverpool are weighing up making a move for Bukayo Saka, with Jurgen Klopp reportedly a huge admirer of the 20-year-old. The attacker grabbed his ninth goal of the season in Saturday’s victory, and it’s thought Arsenal officials are working hard behind the scenes to get him tied down on a new and improved deal.
As things stand, Arsenal are in a solid position when it comes to Saka’s contract. His current deal runs until 2024, and there is an option for the club to trigger a year’s extension. However, if Liverpool were to formalise their interest in the summer, especially with a substantial offer, then Arsenal maybe be left in a difficult situation.
They may find the offer too good to turn down from a financial perspective, especially if Saka were to express an interest in heading to Anfield - although as things stand there’s been nothing to suggest this is the case.
Yet in any event, it’s possible that technical director Edu and his recruitment team could be working behind the scenes to draw up a list of potential replacements. If they are, then it’s more than likely that one of the players sitting near the top of that list would be Crystal Palace attacker Michael Olise.
Olise was Patrick Vieira's first signing last summer after impressing for Reading where he registered seven goals and 12 league assists in his first full senior campaign. Injuries saw the 20-year-old struggle to secure regular game time in the initial months of this season, however he’s been a revelation since the turn of the year.
He shone again on Sunday afternoon in Palace’s impressive 4-0 FA Cup quarter-final win over Everton. He grabbed somewhat of a fortuitous assist in that game, with a mishit shot bouncing off the post and into the path of Wilfried Zaha. However, in truth, that was a just reward for a standout attacking display.
The 20-year-old was too fast and skilful for Everton’s defenders, regularly bypassing them in one v one battles, or winning fouls in good positions on the pitch. He actually won more fouls than any other player on the day (five), and three Everton players went into the book bringing him down.
Although not a carbon copy of Saka, Olise should tick many boxes from an Arsenal perspective. He’s young, looks to have a very high ceiling and is extremely versatile as a player. The 20-year-old can also play multiple roles and has done so for Palace already, featuring as a right-sided number eight, a number ten and a wide attacker.
So far, the underlying numbers paint the 20-year-old as one of the best young creators across the Premier League. He ranks third for all under-21 players in terms of Expected Assists (xA) per 90 (0.23), and ninth in terms of having the highest key passes per 90 average (0.59).
Palace paid just £8million to sign him last summer, a bargain in anyone’s book. They won’t be in a rush to sell him, but an attractive offer from Arsenal could change that stance, especially with the Gunners expected to lose at least one of their own key attackers this summer.
