DONE DEAL: Arsenal completes the signing of £150m Europe’s most valued striker, Medical completed and the Player to take over Kai Havertz jersey number, Jubilation at London Colney as fans welcome their third summer signing

This summer has been a testing one for Arsenal fans so far.

Unlike Premier League rivals Manchester City and Liverpool, the North Londoners are yet to confirm a single signing, with the one positive piece of news coming out recently being that of Gabriel Magalhaes’ contract renewal.

Moreover, following reports from Fabrizio Romano, it looks like there is a real chance that Thomas Partey could be the latest player to leave for free this summer, following fellow midfielder Jorginho.

Fortunately, the club seem incredibly close to securing the services of Martin Zubimendi, and if reports are to be believed, they are looking to sign another international star who’d be an even more exciting acquisition.

Arsenal’s next transfer after Zubimendi

After months of speculation following Sami Mokbel’s initial exclusive around Zubimendi’s move to Arsenal back in January and the countless times it looked like he might be heading elsewhere since then, Romano helped to reassure fans on Friday evening by confirming that the Spaniard’s £55m move to the club was signed.

The Real Sociedad ace, who has long been a target for top sides from Liverpool to Real Madrid, will add some real quality to the middle of the park for the Gunners’ and if his performances for Spain are anything to go by, he is more than just a defensive midfielder.

However, given how long we’ve known about this potential deal and the fact he is, first and foremost, a six, it’s easy to understand why the excitement might not necessarily be there for some fans. After all, the North Londoners’ biggest problem this season was scoring goals.

So, there’s a hope and an expectation that the next player the club focuses on will be an out-and-out attacker, potentially someone like Rodrygo.

The good news is that that may be what happens, according to a recent report from The Mirror.

The story has revealed that while a deal may take some time to happen this summer, the Gunners’ interest in the Real Madrid star is ‘genuine.’

Moreover, while he won’t come cheap, the report claims that a fee in the region of £70m may be enough to tempt Los Blancos into selling.

While that is still a lot of money, it’s not out of the realm of possibility for Arsenal, and as he’d be a far more exciting signing than Zubimendi, this is a deal they should be pushing for.

Why Rodrygo would be a more exciting signing than Zubimendi

Well, simply put, while Zubimendi might be able to have just as much of an impact on the team’s performances from the base of midfield, Rodrygo would be a more exciting signing because attackers are what get people on their feet.

It might sound terribly reductionist, and we are sure there are a few purists who prefer to watch a defensive midfielder, but when it comes down to it, the vast majority of fans want to see goals, and with the Real Madrid gem, that’s what they’d get.

Since the start of the 23/24 campaign, the “world-class superstar,” as dubbed by Luka Modrić, has scored 32 goals and provided 20 assists in 104 appearances, totalling 7,202 minutes, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every other game, or every 138.5 minutes over a two-year period.

What makes those numbers all the more impressive is that for most of the last two campaigns, the Brazilian international has been forced to play out on the right or up top, and while he can evidently still do that to great effect, he is primarily a left-winger, so just imagine how good he could be in his natural position.

However, perhaps just after goals, the next most exciting thing to see on a football pitch is a winger who runs at, takes on and beats his opposing defender, which is a skill the former Santos gem has in spades.

According to FBref, he sat in the top 2% of attacking midfielders and wingers for carries into the final third in La Liga this season, the top 12% for carries into the penalty area and the top 15% for successful take-ons, all per 90.

Those stats help to show that not only is the 24-year-old an incredibly positive runner with the ball and someone who can spearhead attacks, but he also possesses the ability to get past full-backs and centre-backs.

For comparison’s sake, Gabriel Martinelli sits in the bottom 42% of attacking midfielders and wingers in the Premier League for successful take-ons per 90, so fans would notice a big improvement on the left in that regard.

Ultimately, Zubimendi looks like a great signing for Arsenal and someone who can help them control games next season, but due to his output, tenacity and ability on the ball, Rodrygo would be a far more exciting addition to the team.