Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta confronted with awkward truth about three stars on his wish list

has been fine-tuning 's squad ever since he took charge in 2019. At this point in his reign, with three consecutive runner-up medals in his cabinet, the transfer windows are more about finding marginal gains than changing the team's dynamic completely.

And although has had his moments, he is one of the players whose place in the starting line-up is expected to be on the chopping block this summer. Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta is understood to have been scouring the market for a player capable of injecting new potency and quality to the left side of Arteta's front three.

And on the whole, fans have greeted links to AC Milan star Rafael Leao, Athletic Club ace Nico Williams, and Real Madrid winger Rodrygo with excitement. But a deeper delve into their respective campaigns does raise uncomfortable questions about whether Arsenal really would be getting bang for their buck.

Martinelli has racked up eight goals in the Premier League season - the same total Leao has managed in Serie A, where he has played 101 more minutes than the Arsenal wide man, two more than Rodrygo has notched in Madrid, and three more than Williams has bagged in Bilbao.

Those are concerning statistics considering that the main purpose of splashing out on a new left-winger is to save Bukayo Saka from doing so much of the heavy lifting at the top end of the pitch.

That's not to say the trio in question do not have the capacity to take their game up a notch once they land in north London. Arteta has a strong track record of taking very good players and making them great, as he has done with the likes of William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes and Martin Odegaard.

But their comparable output to Martinelli does make them a risk, considering the caution Premier League teams need to spend with in the era of PSR, and the fact there are a selection of more productive wide players on the market.

The assist stats will only make Arteta feel marginally better. Martinelli has set up four goals in the Premier League this term, which is only one fewer than Rodrygo and Williams. But Leao does have the group trumped, having laid on eight goals for the Rossoneri.

Which, if any, of the three wide transfer options arrive at the Emirates remains to be seen. But Arteta may need to work his coaching magic on whoever it is for them to give Arsenal the jolt required to overhaul Liverpool.