The season hasn’t entirely gone according to plan, but after Wednesday’s North London derby win, there is a certain optimism among the Arsenal fanbase.
Mikel Arteta’s side remain four points off of Premier League leaders Liverpool, who have a game in hand, but with just under half of the campaign to go, the race is very much back on.
However, to ensure that the team have the best chance of overtaking the Reds, the board must act and bring in some attacking players this month.
Two of the most prevalent Premier League names most heavily linked with a move to Arsenal have been Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak and Brentford star Bryan Mbeumo.
Now, recent reports have linked another forward with the club, a forward who is outperforming Kai Havertz and also starring in the top-flight…
Arsenal chase Premier League poacher
According to a recent report from The Telegraph’s John Percy, Arsenal are now interested in Brentford striker Yoane Wissa.
However, the Gunners aren’t the only ones, as Percy has also revealed that fellow Premier League outfit Nottingham Forest are incredibly keen to land the Bees man this month.
A potential price is not mentioned in the story, but considering the 28-year-old’s £25k-per-week contract is set to expire next summer, it’s not unrealistic to think he’d be available for a reasonable price, despite Thomas Frank expectedly telling the press he isn’t for sale.
It could require something of an overpay to get this transfer done, but considering Wissa’s form this season, it might be worth pursuing, especially as a double swoop for him and Mbeumo has the potential to be game-changing.
Why Arsenal should sign Wissa alongside Mbeumo
So, to get straight to the point, the reason Wissa could be an incredible signing to make alongside Mbeumo this month is straightforward: they’re already playing brilliantly together at Brentford.
For example, the Bees are the fifth-highest scoring team in the league at the moment, and the former has been involved in 33% of their goals this season, while the latter has been involved in 40%.
Moreover, when playing together, the pair have directly combined for ten goals in the Premier League alone and earn an average of 1.43 points per game.
Finally, both forwards are more than comfortable on the wing or down the middle, with the former Troyes ace preferring the right and the former Lorient star the left, meaning they could easily interchange throughout a game, in turn, confusing opposition defenders and potentially even allowing Bukayo Saka to float into the middle at times as well.
With that said, the other reason Arteta and Co should look to sign the “massively underrated” poacher, as dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson, is his output this season.
Appearances
22
28
Minutes
1549′
2322′
Goals
12
12
Assists
2
3
Goal Involvements per Match
0.63
0.53
Minutes per Goal Involvement
110.64′
154.80′
For example, in just 22 appearances, totalling 1549 minutes, the 28-year-old marksman has scored 12 goals and provided two assists, meaning he’s averaging a goal involvement every 1.57 games, or every 110.64 minutes.
In contrast, Havertz has scored as many goals and provided one more assist but has done so in 28 appearances, totalling 2322 minutes, meaning he’s averaging a goal involvement every 1.86 games or every 154.80 minutes.
Ultimately, he isn’t the most prominent name around, but if he can be signed for a reasonable fee, then Wissa could be the perfect addition to Arsenal’s squad this month, especially if the club can get a hold of Mbeumo as well.
In talks with his agent: Arsenal eye big move to sign their own Kulusevski
The superb attacker could be a game-changer for Arsenal.
ByJack Salveson HolmesJan 16, 2025