Arsenal have been linked to long-term target Johan Bakayoko as the winger prepares to enter the final year of his contract with PSV Eindhoven.
Bakayoko was unsure of Arsenal last summer due to concerns over the amount of game time he would get amid Bukayo Saka’s rise.
Since then, the Belgian has reached even greater heights; however, his price tag may not necessarily reflect that this summer.
Arsenal can sign Bakayoko for just £17m during the 2025 summer transfer window as his contract expires in 2026, giving Andrea Berta the chance to secure a bargain.
Mikel Arteta is eager to get at least one more winger on board, and Bakayoko could be that figure, but would his arrival benefit everyone in the Arsenal squad?
Winners from Johan Bakayoko to Arsenal transfer
Bukayo Saka
As a left-footed right-winger, Bakayoko would represent the perfect competition for Saka, which is a positive for the Hale End graduate.
Saka has played a lot of football since his rise in the first team, with Arteta’s squad crying out for a quality alternative for the England international.
Bakayoko could not only offer Saka rotation every now and then, but could also push the 23-year-old to be even better, which is a win-win for both club and player.
Kai Havertz
Another member of the squad that could benefit from Bakayoko’s arrival is Havertz.
Havertz isn’t a natural striker, but has shown that he’s more than capable of getting on the end of a good delivery and being involved in clever passages of play.
The PSV winger certainly offers both, averaging one of the highest rates of goal-creating actions via a take-on per 90 in Europe’s top five leagues, as per FBref, essentially meaning he can beat his marker to create a goal-scoring chance.
Ethan Nwaneri
A surprising inclusion in the winners’ list is Nwaneri.
Nwaneri was Arteta’s backup option to Saka last year, and despite the winger’s injury giving him a way into the Arsenal squad, Bakayoko’s arrival could be a blessing in disguise for the teen.
That’s because the Belgian wouldn’t necessarily block Nwaneri’s route to gaining more senior minutes, and would instead gift him the chance to play his favoured position instead.
Signing Bakayoko could stop Arteta from seeing Nwaneri as a right winger, which isn’t his favourite position, as the England U21 star much prefers being an attacking midfielder.
If the wide areas were kitted out with depth, Nwaneri would have a greater chance of making a name for himself centrally.
Losers if Arsenal signed Johan Bakayoko
Gabriel Martinelli
An obvious loser from Arsenal signing Bakayoko is Martinelli, due to the competition that his arrival could bring to the Brazil international.
Martinelli had a tough season and has failed to show the highs he demonstrated over the 2022/23 campaign ever since that year.
Signing a winger will only broaden Arteta’s options in the wide areas, and if Martinelli continues on a downward trajectory, increased competition for game time could just be catastrophic for the 23-year-old’s Arsenal career.
Leandro Trossard
The same goes for Trossard, who is already on the fence between being a starter and a substitute in Arteta’s eyes.
Given that Trossard will turn 31 shortly after the season has started, Bakayoko could prove to be the natural successor to his countryman in Arsenal’s pecking order.
If Trossard were to sign a new deal at Arsenal only to then see increased competition arrive, it would be a blow for the former Brighton ace.
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