It’s already been a very busy summer transfer window for Arsenal, but the spending spree appears set to continue.
On Friday, Noni Madueke was unveiled as the club’s latest new recruit, arriving from Chelsea for a reported fee of £52m.
He is the club’s fourth signing of the summer, after Kepa Arrizabalaga, Martín Zubimendi and Christian Nørgaard, while most are forecasting that Viktor Gyökeres and Cristhian Mosquera will soon follow.
Nevertheless, as Mikel Arteta targets the Premier League title, he is far from done there, with the Gunners seemingly set to make a move for another “exceptional” talent.
Arsenal looking to add more firepower
As the table below documents, Madueke became the seventh player in just seven years to join Arsenal from fierce London rivals Chelsea.
Noni Madueke
Summer 2025
£52m
Kepa Arrizabalaga
Summer 2025
£5m
Raheem Sterling
Summer 2024
Loan
Kai Havertz
Summer 2023
£65m
Jorginho
Winter 2023
£12m
Willian
Summer 2020
Free
David Luiz
Summer 2019
£8m
The general weariness from Gooners when it comes signing Chelsea cast-off explains some of the apathy towards this this deal, but Sam Dean of the Telegraph believes Madueke will be an excellent addition to Arteta’s forward options.
Now though, Mark Brus of Caught Offside is reporting that Arsenal have opened talks with RB Leipzig star Xavi Simons’ representatives, adding that the Dutchman is ‘available’ for £52m, ahead of a potential swoop for the player.
The 22-year-old only made his move to die Roten Bullen from Paris Saint-Germain permanent in January, costing around £43m, but a report by Yvonne Gabriel of German newspaper BILD claims he wants to leave, after Leipzig failed to qualify for any European competition, prioritising a move to the Premier League.
So, could he become the eighth Netherlands international to represent Arsenal, linking up with Jurriën Timber, while following in the footsteps of Robin van Persie, Giovanni van Bronckhorst, Marc Overmars, Dennis Bergkamp and others?
How Xavi Simons would improve Arsenal
Simons has been in the spotlight for a very long time, despite still being just 22 years old, very much aptly described as a wonderkid.
He spent time in the academies of Barcelona and PSG, but his real breakthrough came at PSV Eindhoven in the 2022/23 season, registering 22 goals and 11 assists for the Eredivisie giants, winning the KNVB Beker and Johan Cruyff Schaal.
Given his form, PSG enacted a buy-back clause worth just £5m, although he only ever made 11 senior appearances for les Rouge-et-Bleu across two spells, loaned out to Leipzig, before being sold for a massive profit earlier this year, as already mentioned.
In Eastern Germany, Simons has certainly caught the eye, scoring 21 goals and accumulating 23 assists in 76 appearances, including netting ten times in the Bundesliga last season.
Bayern Munich sporting director Christoph Freund labelled him an “exceptional player”, while Sultan Babajide of Breaking the Lines asserts that he is ‘destined for the top’, able to operate both centrally and out-wide, given that he is ‘brilliant between the lines’.
Well, Simon Collings of the Evening Standard believes that Arsenal need a creative midfielder who can ‘shoulder the burden’ so heavily placed on chief playmaker Martin Ødegaard, and Simons certainly appears to fit the bill.
But, would the Holland international really be a more exciting signing than Madueke?
Let’s compare the duo.
Appearances
25
32
Minutes
2,157
2,047
Goals
10
7
Assists
7
4
Shots
33
57
Shots on target %
69.7%
56.14%
Chances created
50
31
Big chances created
12
6
Big chances missed
2
14
Take-on success %
37.1%
49.5%
Touches
1700
1077
Average Sofascore Rating
7.58
7.03
As the table outlines, while Madueke’s statistics are impressive, especially when it comes to shots and dribbling, it’s Simons who comes out on top across the board.
The Dutchman’s numbers when it came to shooting accuracy, chances created, and touches are all exponentially higher, underlining what he could bring.
Bart Vlietstra of the Guardian notes that Simons has always been a ‘precocious’ talent, and that there has always been ‘something irresistible about him’, while his recent ‘outstanding’ form suggests he is ready to take the next step.
Thus, if Arsenal can convince him to swap Saxony for North London, he could be the man to fire them to glory.
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