'Straight away': Tim Sherwood says Arsenal should sign £9m player to replace Bukayo Saka
Yesterday at 07:15 AM
Arsenal beat Crystal Palace 5-1 at the weekend, but there may be a feeling of pessimism around this game despite the Gunners' victory.
Indeed, Bukayo Saka went off injured against Palace, and, sadly, Saka's injury looks serious.
Saka has suffered a torn hamstring, and he could be out of action for months.
Saka is Arsenal's most important player, and if Arsenal want to make up ground in the title race, they may well need to replace the winger.
The January transfer window is just around the corner, and Arsenal have been linked with a few options.
Arsenal have scouted Takefusa Kubo recently, and speaking on the Kelly and Wrighty Show, Tim Sherwood has suggested that Antoine Semenyo could be a great option for Arsenal.
Tim Sherwood suggests Antoine Semenyo for Arsenal
Sherwood spoke about Semenyo, claiming that he could be the ideal replacement for Bukayo Saka at Arsenal.
Semenyo has been linked to Liverpool recently, but Sherwood believes Arsenal should be in this mix.
"I think they have to do something about the right wing in terms of finding a replacement down the right wing," Ian Wright said.
"I've gone one for them straight away from the top of my head, Semenyo," Sherwood said.
"Wow, again he's a fantastic player, he did brilliantly again for Bournemouth. I think this is the time for players to step up, Jesus scoring again is great to see. He looks re-energised," Wright said.
Antoine Semenyo compared to Bukayo Saka
Sherwood has suggested Semenyo as a Saka replacement, and that is a very good shout.
The £9m man has been in great form for Bournemouth this season, and, in a lot of ways, he does stack up well against Saka statistically.
| Antoine Semenyo | Bukayo Saka | |
| Games | 16 | 16 |
| Goals | 5 | 5 |
| Assists | 1 | 10 |
| Shots per game | 4.3 | 2.9 |
| Crosses per game | 0.3 | 2.6 |
| Key passes per game | 1.3 | 1.9 |
However, one thing is clear when looking at the numbers – Semenyo is nowhere near as creative as Saka.
Saka has ten-times as many assists as Semenyo this season, a lot more key passes per game and way more crosses per match too.
Semenyo is a very effective player, and he's great at making things happen in the final third, but one of Saka's key strengths is his creativity, and that's something Semenyo lacks.
The unfortunate reality is that there aren't many players in world football who can do what Saka can, and it will be very hard for Arsenal to find a replacement for their star man.
