Saka is now trailing Arsenal’s “goal machine,” who left on a free agent.
Over the past two years, one of the most knowledgeable players in Europe has been the dynamic attacker.
Over the past few years, Arsenal has improved in almost every area of the game—on the field, off the field, and in the transfer market when vying for highly sought-after players.
Although the Gunners have made a remarkable recovery from their disastrous state a few years ago, the club still faces difficulties in one area: player sales.
The Gunners simply haven’t been able to master that aspect of the modern game, whether it’s selling players for significantly less than their market value, like Granit Xhaka, or struggling to offload aging stars like Mesut Ozil or Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
But a player who was let go for nothing only a few years ago has since outperformed Bukayo Saka in terms of scoring.
Arsenal’s Alexandre Lacazette
This player is French striker Alexandre Lacazette, who has been playing for Lyon the past two seasons like a man possessed.
He did, however, play for Arsenal for five years prior to his return to France, and although he may not be regarded as one of the most productive nines, his talent was undeniable.
The 26-year-old scored 14 goals in 26 Premier League starts in his first season with the team after joining for £47 million from Lyon. It was an amazing start to his English career, but it also stood as his highest league return while he was a player for the Gunners.
He would play 206 games for the team, totaling 71 goals and 36 assists. Although his first few years with the team were noticeably more fruitful than the rest, he left North London having averaged 0.51 goal involvement per game.
Lyon’s Alexandre Lacazette
After five years at the club, it was announced in June 2022 that Lacazette would be returning to France to play on a free agent for Lyon, his former team.
Despite his popularity among Arsenal supporters for the work he did on the field, his return from injury the previous season made his departure less of a concern.
But after his incredible performances during the 2022–2023 season, those same fans probably started to wonder if he ought to have been permitted to depart at all.
The Lyon native, who was dubbed a “goal machine” by his former teammate Sokratis, made 39 appearances across all competitions in 2022–2023 and finished with 31 goals and six assists.
Even though his rate of return has slowed down a little bit this season, it is still far higher than what supporters had anticipated.
By contrast, Saka, the breakout player for Arsenal who has been on fire in recent years, finished the previous season with 15 goals and 11 assists, and he has already contributed 24 goals this season.
Ultimately, most supporters and managers would still prefer to have the young Englishman in their lineup over Lacazette, and for good reason. However, considering how prolific the 32-year-old has been over the past two campaigns, it begs the question of whether he should have been let go at all.
The real answer will only be known by Arteta, but considering the recent rumors that Arsenal needs a new number nine, you can’t help but wonder.
