Bukayo Saka could have role in Marco Asensio's Arsenal transfer decision

Arsenal are eying up a move for Real Madrid attacker Marco Asensio, according to reports. It's said the Gunners are one of several clubs now monitoring his situation, with his contract set to expire in 12 months' time.

The champions of Europe have offered him a contract extension, but as of yet, he's not accepted the terms of the deal and is thought to be keen on a move away from the Bernabeu.

He could do so as a free agent in a year, though Madrid officials are eager to avoid this and would rather recoup a fee this summer if he's not willing to sign a new deal.

Mikel Arteta is of course looking to add reinforcements to his attack in this window. Eddie Nketiah is expected to extend his contract at the Emirates until 2027, though from an attacking point of view Arsenal are still thin on the ground with Alexandre Lacazette leaving at the end of the month.

Asensio wouldn't be a like-for-like replacement for the departing Frenchman, as the Spaniard is much better suited to playing out on the right, however he could still have a hugely positive impact on the Arsenal attack next season.

In the last campaign for Madrid, he scored 12 goals while registering a further two assists. While that looks decent if unremarkable at first glance, it's worth noting that the 26-year-old wasn't a regular in Carlo Ancelotti's starting 11 this season.

Therefore if we break those combined contributions down into a per 90 average, then it works out at 0.55, which is pretty impressive. It basically indicates he scored or assisted at a rate of more than one in every two games.

With Nicolas Pepe's Arsenal career failing to lift off, Arteta has relied almost exclusively on Bukayo Saka on the right side of his side's attack. Despite his age, Saka has highlighted himself as one of the Premier League 's best in that position and finished the last campaign having netted 12 goals and a further six assists.

It's unlikely Arteta is intending to replace the 20-year-old with Asensio. Though the Spanish international could provide some much-needed cover for him. With a lack of reliable right-sided attackers in the squad, Arteta could rarely afford to rotate Saka last season in order to rest him meaning he accumulated more minutes than any other Arsenal player (4426).

Asensio's arrival could add greater depth to that area of the pitch, while his ability to both score and create goals can have a positive impact on Arsenal's attacking returns next season.

A big stumbling block however is Asensio wants guarantees from any potential suitor that he would get regular game time before committing to any move. This can't be promised with Saka in the Arsenal ranks.

Although the England star has been the subject of transfer speculatio n, noise from the Arsenal camp suggests that they'll do all they can to keep him at the club. It's more than likely then that Asensio could be forced to settle for a backup role, which might not be enough to persuade him to agree to the move.