Arsenal have come a long way in the last four or five years, from languishing down in eighth place to consistently fighting for the Premier League title.
Much of this progress has come about thanks to the leadership and tactics of Mikel Arteta, but another significant reason for the club’s progress has been their transfer business over the years.
For example, signings like Gabriel Jesus, Martin Odegaard and Ben White are just some of the players brought in since 2020 who have had a tremendous impact on the Gunners’ trajectory.
That said, the most significant statement the North Londoners have made in the market thus far has been the capture of Declan Rice; although for as expensive as he was, a player who hasn’t cost the club a penny in terms of fees is now worth even more.
Rice’s Arsenal career
So, after spending his entire professional career at West Ham United, where he won the Conference League and first wore the captain’s armband at just 19, Rice made his move to Arsenal last summer for a British record fee of around £105m.
However, not only was this the most expensive transfer for a British player ever, it was, and still is, the Gunners’ record transfer fee and, based on how the club have operated in the market in recent years, it’s likely to remain so for some time.
Now, when players are signed for extremely significant fees, things don’t always go so well for them at their new club. You only have to look at Moises Caicedo’s struggles at Chelsea last season, Romelu Lukaku’s struggles at Stamford Bridge a few years ago and Enzo Fernández’s struggles at…hold on, there’s a bit of a theme developing here.
Anyway, the point is that massive price tags often bring massive pressure, and while plenty of players have crumbled under said pressure in the past, the former West Ham ace certainly hasn’t.
In fact, more often than not, when his transfer fee was brought up last season, it was to suggest that the Hammers should have asked for more.
In all, the 25-year-old “monster”, as dubbed by journalist Sam Dean, made 51 appearances for Arsenal last season, and while these performances were split between the left-eight and six positions, he still managed to rack up an impressive haul of seven goals and ten assists, lending credence to journalist Rob Blanchette’s description of him as “a force of nature” in midfield.
That said, as fantastic as the Englishman has been for Arteta’s side, there is another star in the team who is worth even more, and he didn’t cost the club a penny to sign.
Bukayo Saka’s valuation in 2024
Yes, the Arsenal star in question is, of course, the sensational Bukayo Saka, who came up through the ranks in the club’s iconic Hale End academy, meaning that while he’s undoubtedly cost a lot in wages, he hasn’t cost a penny in transfer fees.
So, it’s even more impressive that, according to Transfermarkt, he is now worth €140m, which converts to about £118m, or £13m more than Rice cost the Gunners just over a year ago.
In fact, the winger’s value has been soaring in recent years, with it rising from just £6m in 2019 to £76m in November 2022 to what it is today, and while that’s a dramatic increase in a relatively short space of time, it’s entirely justified.
For example, he has been improving year-on-year, racking up a return of 16 goal involvements in 20/21, 19 in 21/22, 26 in the 22/23 season, an outrageous 34 last season, and in just three games this year, he has already scored once and provided three assists.
Another hugely important quality that the Hale End “monster”, as dubbed by journalist Mark White, possesses is availability.
Saka’s recent full seasons | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Season | 20/21 | 21/22 | 22/23 | 23/24 |
Appearances | 46 | 43 | 48 | 47 |
Goals | 7 | 12 | 15 | 20 |
Assists | 9 | 7 | 11 | 14 |
Goal Involvements per Match | 0.34 | 0.44 | 0.54 | 0.72 |
For example, across his senior career to date, the 22-year-old sensation has made 229 appearances for the Gunners and missed just 15 games for club and country – as they always say, availability is the best ability.
Ultimately, Arsenal are incredibly fortunate to have Rice and Saka in the team, and while the former is likely to see his valuation rise, it’s unlikely that anyone in the Gunners’ squad will see their valuation surpass the latter’s, as he is undoubtedly the beating heart of this iteration of the club.
