Arsenal are reportedly one of two clubs monitoring Alejandro Garnacho’s situation at Manchester United this summer.
The Gunners are eager to upgrade in the left-wing department, and have been linked with the likes of Nico Williams, Rodrygo and Ademola Lookman.
Rodrygo is Andrea Berta’s dream target, although the Brazilian may ultimately opt to stay at Real Madrid.
Garnacho has emerged as a surprise target for Arsenal, with the Gunners faithful not exactly enthused by the North London club’s reported interest in the Argentine.
The United man has fallen out of favour at Old Trafford, and is subsequently available for a cut-price this summer.
With that said, here are four Arsenal players who would be impacted by the signing of Garnacho.
Winners from Arsenal signing Alejandro Garnacho
Bukayo Saka
Bukayo Saka suffered a serious hamstring injury last season that kept him out for over three months.
Many feel this injury was a result of overburdening the winger with minutes over the last few years, with Mikel Arteta rarely granting him a rest due to a lack of quality alternatives.
The arrival of Garnacho would provide the Spanish manager with a player who is capable of playing from the right and is productive from this position, meaning Saka would be afforded more opportunities to sit on the sidelines and recuperate.
This would not only improve the Englishman when he does play as he’d be more well rested, but also reduce the chances of him sustaining more frequent injury issues.
Benjamin Sesko
Arsenal are getting closer to securing the signing of Benjamin Sesko from RB Leipzig.
The Slovenian appears to be the Gunners’ priority striker target, and could arrive at the Emirates in the coming weeks in a deal worth less than his £67 million release clause.
Since breaking through into the United team, Garnacho has averaged over 3.5 shots per 90 minutes, with this willingness to take shots causing chaos for the opposition.
With the Argentina international incessantly shooting, Sesko should have more scraps to feed off inside the box, and should score more goals than when paired with a shot-shy Gabriel Martinelli.
Losers from Arsenal signing Alejandro Garnacho
Ethan Nwaneri
Ethan Nwaneri often filled in for Saka on the right-hand side of Arsenal’s attack last season, and looks primed to fulfil this duty next season.
However, the arrival of Garnacho would certainly threaten Nwaneri’s position as the default Saka alternative.
Garnacho has more experience playing from the right than the Hale End star, and would likely be favoured in this role by Arteta.
Nwaneri would then be left largely to fight for minutes over Odegaard in midfield.
Gabriel Martinelli
Martinelli is currently Arteta’s primary left-winger, with the Brazilian starting over the likes of Leandro Trossard and Raheem Sterling more often than not last season.
However, with Garnacho primarily being a left-sided forward, Arsenal would no doubt be signing him with a view to him taking Martinelli’s place in the long-term
If the United man manages to fulfil his potential quickly at the Emirates, this would likely lead to Martinelli becoming a more peripheral figure in N5, potentially prompting him to depart in the near future.
Regardless of whether it comes to fruition, the optics of Arsenal being interested aren’t a good thing for the man from São Paulo.
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