Arsenal can transform Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli with £43m Gianluca Scamacca transfer – Tom Canton

Bukayo Saka finished the season as Arsenal’s top scorer. The 20-year-old effectively carried the team through games, something which should not be the case for a side like Arsenal.

This is not to say that Arsenal cannot have generational talents such as Saka putting in big numbers as they chase their targets, but there must be greater input from other areas. Throughout the season both Gabriel Martinelli and Emile Smith-Rowe chipped in with goals and assists to try and spread the burden.

However, both saw their goal contributions trail off in the second half of the season. The striker position was a point of vulnerability in 2021/22 and was ultimately the reason why Spurs achieved the fourth spot and Arsenal failed. Alongside the horrific injuries that plagued the side during the run-in.

READ MORE: Mikel Arteta adds £22.5m to Arsenal budget to boost hopes of double striker signing

It cannot be ignored what Harry Kane and Son-Heung-min brought to Antonio Conte’s side. Whilst Alexandre Lacazette went on a goal drought and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s disciplinary breaches saw him depart in the winter.

Eddie Nketiah nearly brought enough at the season’s end with five goals in eight starts but it wasn’t enough. That is why this summer the striker signings (I use the plural there with the utmost hope they do indeed apply later down the line), must be the right ones.

Gabriel Jesus appears to be the priority and a lot has been said about the similarities he has to Nketiah regarding his physical attributes. However, there are plenty of benefits to this ‘clone’ striker scenario.

Yet, many supporters, I included, have had the desire to see a more physical and characteristically contrasting striker brought in. Perhaps those hopes will be answered with reports from Italy suggesting Arsenal are pushing for Sassuolo’s Gianluca Scamacca.

The 6ft 5ins striker would without question bring the verticality that the club has been after. The report by Repubblica says that the Arsenal manager clearly feels the same way stating that the Italian has ‘been in the sights of the coach [Mikel] Arteta for months’. The asking price for the Italian is suggested to be €50million (£42.9million) and the Gunners would be minded to meet it.

Bukayo Saka and Martinelli in particular would greatly benefit from having a target man. Their incisive runs and inverted style have the potential to see the link-up play with the Italian.

That said, according to FBRef, Scamacca has just below average shot-creating actions per 90, 2.22, compared to other strikers across Europe’s top five leagues. However, Arteta has asked much of his No.9, Lacazette especially, to be a link-up specialist and there is no reason why Scamacca couldn’t develop this further.

With Jesus a possibility, the chance to see the Brazilian, Saka and Martinelli all join up in plays with Scamacca is an exciting one. It is now just down to whether the club makes good on its interest and completes a deal for the Sassuolo striker.