It’s felt like the left flank has been waiting for a suitable successor to Alexis Sanchez for a fair while now at Arsenal, with that department likely to be an area to prioritise heading into the summer window.
Indeed, usual starter Leandro Trossard is enduring a barren run in front of goal that stretches back to December, while teammate Gabriel Martinelli is yet to emerge as a consistent figure at the Emirates, despite showcasing flashes of his quality.
The Brazilian notably teed up Kai Havertz’s winner against Sporting CP in midweek following a driving inside run from the flank, with the 25-year-old now up to 17 goals and assists in all competitions this season.
A creditable record that may be, although just four of those goal involvements have come in the Premier League, ensuring the wait for a real Sanchez-style game-changer in north London goes on.
Arsenal could need club-record fee to sign first-choice summer target
The Gunners are marching toward the title, although their recent woes in the Carabao Cup and FA Cup have highlighted that there is still room for improvement, particularly on the flanks.
Be it on the left or right, Mikel Arteta’s men just aren’t firing now, with Trossard and Havertz netting just six league goals between them, while Bukayo Saka and Noni Madueke have scored just eight combined on the opposite side.
It may not matter in the grand scheme of things this season, although it is evident that Arteta and Andrea Berta are chasing an upgrade, amid reports regarding their apparent interest in Paris Saint-Germain sensation, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.
As per Caught Offside, the belief is that Arsenal have held talks regarding a potential move for the Georgian winger, after recently lodging enquiries.
Berta and co are believed to be exploring a move for the 25-year-old, albeit with the Ligue 1 side adamant that he is not for sale, seemingly putting a halt to any advance from the Gunners.
If any deal were to be struck, however, it would likely take a fee of £157m or more, as per the report, thus eclipsing Arsenal’s club-record signing of Declan Rice back in 2023.
Why Kvaratskhelia would finally replace Alexis
He may have soured relations by joining Manchester United in January 2018, in a deal that he would immediately regret, yet it’s hard to overlook the genius of Sanchez during his Arsenal pomp.
The Gunners got the best of the Chilean, no doubt about it, with his 166 games at the club yielding 80 goals and 44 assists. At Barcelona, for comparison, his 141 games saw him chip in with just 46 goals and 38 assists.
His final full Premier League season at the Emirates was particularly impressive, with Sanchez scoring 24 goals and registering a further ten assists, having been primarily deployed on that left flank.
As the mixed fortunes of Trossard and Martinelli have showcased again this season, no left-sided Arsenal winger has got close to such a return since Sanchez’s exit, although if a deal for Kvaratskhelia were to be struck, that could all be set to change.
Only this week, the former Napoli hero was at his breathtaking best as PSG put Liverpool to the sword in the Champions League, with Kvaratskhelia scoring his side’s second of the night following some delightfully calm footwork inside the area.
As match winners go, he’s up there with the very best, having saved his finest work for the European stage this season, already up to 12 goals and assists in just 12 games in the competition so far.
Encouragingly too, his record against Premier League sides is particularly standout, having scored three goals across the recent two-legged tie with Chelsea in the last-16, while also netting a stunner against Aston Villa en route to last year’s triumph under Luis Enrique.
Fleet of foot and with devastating end product to match, the aptly-named ‘Kvaradona’ is simply a joy to watch in full flow, possessing that Sanchez knack for being able to win a game on his own with an innate piece of magic.
Back in 2016/17 too, for instance, Sanchez’s brilliance was seen not only in his 34 goals and assists, but in how he averaged 2.2 key passes per game, as well as 2.8 successful dribbles per game.
For context, in Ligue 1 last term, Kvaratskhelia wasn’t too far behind, averaging 1.9 key passes and 1.8 successful dribbles following his mid-season arrival from Naples.
Of course, as alluded to, such a deal wouldn’t be cheap, while bordering on almost improbable, yet there is a sense that Arsenal are still missing that real X-factor, the ‘wow’ moment of bringing a Sanchez or a Mesut Ozil to the Emirates.