Alongside Zubimendi: Arsenal want to sign £50m PL star who’s like Isak

We are almost halfway through the transfer window, and despite things going very wrong on the pitch this month, Arsenal are yet to make a signing.

Mikel Arteta’s side drew to Brighton & Hove Albion and lost to Newcastle United and Manchester United, not because of their defence but because of their increasingly blunt attack, so it’s not all that surprising to see the fans crying out for the club to sign either a new striker or winger.

The player who is perhaps the most sought-after option this month has been free-scoring Alexander Isak, but with reports claiming that he’ll cost at least £150m in the summer, signing him this month seems like a complete fantasy.

Fortunately, the Gunners have been linked to another Premier League star in recent reports, who is not only more attainable but has also won comparisons to the sensational Swede this season.

Arsenal chasing exciting Premier League star

News surprisingly broke on Tuesday morning that, according to the Daily Mail’s Sami Mokbel, Arsenal are ‘set to sign’ Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi in the summer transfer window.

That being said, he’s not the only player who could arrive over the summer, with the Gunners casting their eyes over one of the most in-form players in England’s top flight.

Indeed, according to a recent report from journalist Charles Watts, Arsenal are one of several sides interested in Brentford star Bryan Mbeumo.

In fact, in his Daily Briefing, Watts claims that the Gunners are ‘one of a few top clubs keeping an eye on’ the talented forward this month but that the Bees would be incredibly reluctant to sell the Cameroon international mid-way through the campaign. Instead, a move could happen alongside Zubimendi in the summer months.

A potential price is not mentioned in the report, but according to a story from earlier this month, an offer in the region of £50m could be enough, which wouldn’t be out of reach for the North Londoners.

It could still be a complicated transfer to get over the line, but given Mbeumo’s immense ability, it’s one worth fighting for, especially as he has won comparisons to the increible Isak this year.

How Mbeumo compares to Isak

Before we look at Mbeumo’s impressive form for Brentford and some of the other reasons Arsenal should splash the cash on him this month, let’s examine this comparison to the sensational Isak and where it comes from.

It primarily stems from FBref, which compares players in similar positions in the Premier League this season, then creates a list of the ten most comparable players for each one, and, in this instance, has concluded that the Swede is the ninth most similar forward to the Cameroonian.

Now, it is true that the Brentford star plays the majority of his games as a winger, but he has also made enough appearances down the middle in recent years – six times this season and nine last year – for there to be enough data to compare him with the league’s other out-and-out strikers, data which has led to the conclusion above.

We can better understand how this conclusion was reached by looking at the underlying metrics in which the pair rank closely, including, but not limited to, expected assisted goals, goals per shot, key passes, switches, carries into the penalty area, shot and goal-creating actions and more, all per 90.

However, while the comparison to the Toon’s world-class striker is undoubtedly encouraging, it’s not the only reason the Gunners should be looking to sign the former Troyes ace this month.

Instead, the most significant reason for bringing the 25-year-old to the Emirates is his incredible effectiveness in attacking scenarios.

For example, in just 27 appearances last season, the “unstoppable” dynamo, as dubbed by Alan Shearer, scored nine goals and provided six assists, meaning he maintained an average of a goal involvement every 1.8 games.

Impressively, he’s doing even better this year and has already racked up a haul of 13 goals and four assists in just 24 appearances, which equates to a sensational average of a goal involvement every 1.41 games.

Ultimately, Arsenal are in desperate need of some attacking reinforcements this month, and while a superstar like Isak is out of reach, Mbeumo isn’t, and based on his form this year, he’d be a brilliant addition to Arteta’s squad.

He'll revive Odegaard: Arsenal want to sign "monster" £59m Havertz upgrade

The promising forward could be just what Arsenal need.

3

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Jan 13, 2025