The £51m wonderkid winger who can take Arsenal to the next level

You cannot fault the ambition. So far, over the course of a Euro 2024 campaign that has been pockmarked by mediocrity, Belgium supporters have seen relatively to little of Johan Bakayoko. Two outings, totalling 46 minutes, have come closer to cameo territory than anything meaningful, and instead Roberto Martinez has preferred to place his trust in more proven talents, like Jeremy Doku and Leandro Trossard.

But Bakayoko wants to change that. In fact, he wants to change an awful lot more than that. The winger, tricky and twisting, is intent on exploding, and would ideally like to do so sooner rather than later. In a recent interview with The Athletic, he said: “In the next five years, I want to be close to winning the Ballon d’Or. I’ll do my best and see where it can end, but I don’t want to give myself limits. I don’t want to say, ‘I remember when I won the Ballon d’Or’, or something like this. I want to keep going.”

The likelihood is, of course, that should Bakayoko realise his personal ambitions, he will have to do so somewhere other than current club PSV Eindhoven. And this is where Arsenal could enter the conversation.

Already, the Gunners have been linked with the 21-year-old on several occasions this summer, and Caught Offside have even gone as far as to suggest that they have held talks with the player’s representatives over a prospective £50.8 million transfer. Chelsea and Liverpool are also understood to be interested, although their respective pursuits could hinge on securing departures for costly incumbent assets beforehand.

For his part, Bakayoko is said to be open to the idea of a transfer over the coming weeks, but would ideally like to join a club where he would be guaranteed regular first team minutes. Whether Arsenal, who would most likely rotate the Belgian with Bukayo Saka, are a suitable destination in that regard, remains to be seen.

But if there is a chance that he could be convinced of both Mikel Arteta’s project and his role within it, then the Gunners should be going all out to land Bakayoko. A thrilling attacking presence who registered 14 goals and 14 assists in 48 appearances for PSV across all competitions last season, the wide man oozes technical ability and boasts pace in abundance. Indeed, he would be a worthy deputy to Saka, and could even push for a starting role of his own if he continues on his current trajectory.

From Arsenal’s perspective, however, his arrival would signify the next step in their recruitment process. Having built a squad capable of challenging for silverware, the Gunners now need to focus on adding strength in depth to take their aspirations to the next level. Trophy-winning sides are more than just the eleven players out on the pitch, and if there is one area that Arsenal still have some distance left to cover when it comes to catching Manchester City, it is in the options they are able to call upon from the bench. Acquisitions like Bakayoko would certainly help their cause.