A lot of pressure has been put on Bukayo Saka to carry Arsenal out of difficult situations, as he is the most direct player in the team.
He has been in good form for the Gunners this campaign, however, in Sunday’s game against Burnley it was clear that Saka was starting to feel overwhelmed by the responsibility as he fell straight to his knees in tiredness when the final whistle blew.
Mikel Arteta can help him by having a full-back down his wing who can add more attacking support, which would open up another revenue in the final third, rather than relying on Saka.
Tariq Lamptey would be the perfect signing for Arsenal, and he is a player the club should look to pursue to create a dream duo on the right-hand side.
Tomiyasu has been outstanding since joining Arsenal for a £19.8m fee, as he has played a major factor in the defence being stronger than they were in the season previous.
Despite being excellent defensively, he isn’t as dominant when moving forward which would be the only criticism for the full-back.
Due to the lack of consistent overlapping runs, it means that Saka often has to carry the attacking load on the right side, which he is coping with.
The youngster is in the top five for appearances made for Arsenal before turning 20, meaning he is above legends such as David Rocastle and Liam Brady, and has been used more than any other player by Arteta since he took charge of the team in 2019.
In recent games, Saka seems to be experiencing a burnout which was evident after the final whistle was blown in Sunday’s draw against Burnley, but this would be prevented if Lamptey was playing behind him at right-back.
Not also does his quality make him an attractive signing, but it is also because he will provide a different style of play to Tomiyasu, as he is better on the overlap, and providing a threat to the opposition box.
Speaking on The Transfer Window Podcast, Duncan Castles said: “What you have here is Arsenal, who had an interest in Lamptey when he burst onto the scene before that difficult injury that you referred to.”
“They are looking again to sign him and exploring the parameters of the deal. I think Lamptey is an exceptionally attacking full-back.”
