Arsenal MUST move for superstar free agent who is '90% similar' to Saka

Tom Weber

Updated: 28 Dec 2024 10:37 GMT
5 min read

Mikel Arteta has revealed the extent of Bukayo Saka's untimely hamstring injury, which should now give the Arsenal boss an incentive to act on his long-standing interest in Leroy Sane.

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The Gunners' talismanic winger went down injured against Crystal Palace on December 21 and subsequent tests showed that he had torn a muscle, confirming Arteta's worst fears.

After beating Ipswich on Friday, the Spanish tactician revealed that Saka had undergone surgery and would be out for over two months in a massive blow to the north London club's title hopes.

Regarding a potential winter reinforcement, Arteta insisted that the collective would have to step up in Saka's stead, though he previously did not close the door to pouncing on January opportunities.

The fact that Saka will miss a vital part of the campaign should prompt Arteta into action and it is good news for Arsenal that arguably the best potential replacement will be on the market in 2025.

Arsenal's historic Sane interest

Arsenal have a long-standing interest in Bayern Munich star Leroy Sane due to the existing relationship between Arteta and the player from their Man City days.

The pair have spoken glowingly of each other on numerous occasions and have revealed that they are still really close. Up to now, however, a transfer has always seemed a bit unrealistic.

Sane is no longer the exciting youngster who turned up in Manchester after breaking out at Schalke but an experienced player, the likes of which Arsenal have only rarely signed in recent windows.

However, Arteta has shown a willingness to augment his side with older players if he feels the need to do so, bringing in the likes of Jorginho, Lenadro Trossard and Mikel Merino when opportunities presented themselves.

At 28, Sane still has a lot of football to play and he is determined to get back to his best after repeated struggles with injury, which have put his place at Bayern in doubt.

The Bavarians brought in marquee signing Michael Olise in the summer in what proved to be a masterstroke by directors Max Eberl and Christoph Freund. So even when Sane has been fit, regular minutes have been hard to come by.

However, he recently showed against RB Leipzig that there is still an excellent player in there and this performance will no doubt have piqued the interest of Arsenal because, as things stand, Sane is set to leave Bayern in 2025.

Sane is on the market

His contract is up next year and talks over an extension have ground to a halt. Bayern are open to extending his deal but not at all costs. The Bundesliga side are determined to lower their wage bill and have asked the winger to take a sizeable pay cut.

It is unclear whether Sane is willing to make these big concessions, but the fact that negotiations have hit an impasse suggests that he is not entirely keen despite generally wanting to stay in Munich.

According to Sky Germany, this latest twist now means that Sane is more likely to leave Bayern than to extend. So far, the Germany international has been unwilling to entertain a January transfer.

But Arsenal would do well to try to convince Sane to change his mind as he could be a real bargain opportunity. Of course, a fee would be required in January, but it is difficult to imagine that Bayern would ask for an unreasonable sum given their desire to add further wide upgrades in 2025.

According to SciSports, Sane would be an ideal Saka replacement. Sane is the top option in terms of current ability among players with at least a 90 per cent similarity to the England star.

Considering the other players in that category, such as Ousmane Dembele and Rodrygo, he is the most affordable option, too. Moreover, he is versatile and could also feature on the left once Saka returns, providing competition for Gabriel Martinelli.

With Raheem Sterling also currently injured and so far having failed to really perform, Sane could - and arguably should - be a viable January option for the Gunners.