Jarrod Bowen to Arsenal: A transfer that could save Saka’s career
Robin Bairner
- 11 Jun 2022 16:57 BST
- 3 min read
Arsenal have been linked with a transfer for West Ham winger Jarrod Bowen, and while on the face of it such a deal may be puzzling, it could be one that saves the career of Bukayo Saka.
The England man enjoyed something of a breakout season under David Moyes in 2021/22, scoring 12 goals in 36 Premier League appearances while laying on another dozen.
That built on a promising debut season in England’s top flight, in which he netted eight times and created five more following a €21.3 million move from Hull City.
The Beautiful Game Podcast, though, reports that transfer talks have been opened between the Gunners and West Ham over a potential deal for a player who is valued at €39m by FootballTransfers.
Saka needs support
On the face of it, this is a deal that might not make sense, not because Bowen, who netted against Mikel Arteta’s side at the London Stadium, is lacking in quality, but because of the strength the Gunners already have on their flanks.
Saka typically occupies Bowen’s favoured role on the right, for instance. There is little doubt that Saka is one of Arsenal’s outstanding players, as was backed up by a contribution of 11 goals and seven assists in the Premier League last season.
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On the left, meanwhile, is Gabriel Martinelli, with the Brazilian showing signs of coming back to his best after serious injury. Data analytics experts SCISports rated the 20-year-old as the best left winger in the Premier League during the 2020/21 season, albeit with relatively few minutes played because of his aforementioned problem, but he recovered promisingly last season and should be persisted with.
Beyond this pair, though, Arsenal become less impressive. Emile Smith Rowe can play off the left but is not as strong there as he is through the centre, while Reiss Nelson’s future is up for debate.
Thought this might be a fun little viz idea, actual time on the pitch is an area that sometimes gets a bit neglected imo. pic.twitter.com/uPP91MRAKt
— Rahul (@exceedingxpuns) June 10, 2022
More depth is clearly needed and Saka, in particular, needs opportunities to rest.
This is underlined by the fact that he has played close to 10,000 minutes of senior football before his 21st birthday. Such a high volume of minutes is synonymous with early burnout and significant injury problems.
Arsenal would be smart to limit his minutes during the 2022/23 season to allow his body to recover, but that means offering quality back up. Bowen is the type of player who would fit the bill.
