Arsenal are looking to bolster the wide areas in Mikel Arteta’s squad this summer, with Leroy Sane one option who has been mooted in recent weeks.
The Gunners want to ensure they have the requisite depth in attack to compete on multiple fronts next season, and are eager to add to the likes of Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka.
Leandro Trossard is expected to sign a new contract, while two more wingers could yet be acquired, giving Arteta a multitude of options on both flanks.
Rodrygo is the dream target for Arsenal, although the North Londoners are also considering signing a cheaper and more experienced wide forward, alongside the marquee addition.
Sane is reportedly set to receive an offer from Arsenal, but the Gunners should be keeping their options open and consider someone else who is available on the market.
Arsenal should consider move for Jack Grealish
The idea of signing Sane alongside a younger and more exuberant option is exciting for Arsenal, who need more depth in the forward areas.
Last season, between February and April, the Gunners were depleted up front, merely as a result of injuries to Saka, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus.
To mitigate the risk of being left in a similar position this time, two winger signings should be made.
Instead of Sane, however, Arsenal could secure a cut-price deal for Manchester City outcast Jack Grealish.
Grealish is available on the market after falling out of favour at the Etihad, and the Gunners have been loosely linked with him.
Despite hardly featuring for City last season, starting just seven Premier League games, the 29-year-old has a more recent track record of performing in the English top flight than Sane, still has something to prove and continues to put up impressive passing and carrying numbers.
| Jack Grealish’s Statistics (Last 365 days) | ||
| Stat | Value | Percentile rank (vs other attacking midfielders and wingers |
| Pass Completion | 87.7% | 99 |
| Progressive Passes | 5.95 | 87 |
| Progressive Carries | 7.71 | 99 |
| Touches in the Attacking Penalty Area | 7.54 | 94 |
| Passes into the Penalty Area | 2.26 | 89 |
| Carries into the Penalty Area | 4.61 | 99 |
While his output isn’t at the level it should be, Grealish remains an exceptional passer and carrier of the ball in forward areas.
He reliably gets City into the penalty area, while he’s also astute at retaining possession in the final third.
Arsenal could do with a player who consistently gets the ball into dangerous areas, with this skillset inadvertently leading to chances and goals.
While he wouldn’t be the default starter on the left-wing, he’d be a useful squad player for Arteta to have at his disposal.
Arsenal should only sign Jack Grealish for less than £30 million
That said, Arsenal should only move for Grealish if City are willing to accept an offer of around £30 million or less.
The player would also have to accept a significant pay cut to move to the Emirates.
Grealish’s reputation is damaged after two seasons of hardly featuring for the Citizens, and even though he still boasts encouraging underlying numbers, his prospective price tag should reflect this.
The former Aston Villa man would be a market opportunity signing for Arsenal, and potentially a more exciting one than Sane, but the Gunners cannot afford to overpay for him.
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