Arsenal are doing pretty well this season; the pursuit of the Premier League trophy that captivated so many last year under Mikel Arteta remains the seasonal objective, despite falling to defeat against Newcastle United at St. James' Park on Saturday evening.
It's not a capitulation, nor is it a detrimental, embarrassing loss – the Magpies have also bested Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain on Tyneside this season.
And while Arteta's side remain in Champions League contention, demoted to fourth following Liverpool's last-gasp equaliser against Luton Town, there is a growing sense of unease that the striking department is not firing at the requisite standard.
The thing is, Arteta has big dreams, lofty ambitions, and rightly so; Pep Guardiola's prodigee, Arsenal took Manchester City all the way during 2022/23 and came tantalisingly close to getting their mitts on the league title, and while they came up short, the feel-good factor was back at the Emirates Stadium after many interminable years.
Arsenal boast one of Europe's most formidable frontlines, but understandably, the Spaniard manager wishes to bolster in 2024, enriching the ranks with additions capable of competing across the multi-faceted paths of a season.
Injuries have already underscored the sparsity of Arsenal's attacking options this year and, while they are pushing for success, it's becoming clear that Gabriel Martinelli, Bukayo Saka and co need support, and the former might just have that in the shape of Jamie Bynoe-Gittens.
Arsenal transfer news
According to Spanish reports, Arsenal are in the mix for Borussia Dortmund's latest English prodigy in Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, having now revealed the youngster's reported price tag.
Indeed, while Chelsea are believed to have registered the most concrete interest in Bynoe-Gittens right now, Arsenal and Eddie Howe's Newcastle are expected to make fierce competition if the teenager's signature becomes attainable.
Dortmund are reluctant to consider his sale at this stage after blending into the first-team fold, and hope to dissuade suitors by stamping a €40m (£35m) valuation on his name.
Having joined the Yellow Wall after ending his contract with Manchester City, Bynoe-Gittens is an immensely talented prospect and could be the perfect player to welcome to north London, complementing and rivalling the current offensive crop.
Jamie Bynoe-Gittens' style of play
Once praised as the “jewel” of Borussia Dortmund's youth crop by journalist Lewis Steele, Bynoe-Gittens burst onto the scene in the Bundesliga last year and plundered three goals from four starting displays, also coming off the bench in both Champions League knockout matches against Chelsea.
He's not yet off the mark this season, but after starting just three games across all competitions he supplied a match-winning assist against Hoffenheim in the DFB Pokal, highlighting his big-game potential.
As per FBref, Bynoe-Gittens ranks among the top 21% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals, the top 1% for total shots, the top 5% for progressive carries, the top 1% for progressive passes and the top 12% for clearances per 90.
Electric-paced and fleet-footed, the £50k-per-week machine finds Manchester United's Marcus Rashford chalked as his most comparable player, with Arsenal's Martinelli also on the list, which bespeaks of his innate qualities.
#1 Marcus Rashford
Manchester United
#5 Samuel Chukwueze
AC Milan
#6 Inaki Williams
Athletic Bilbao
#7 Rafael Leao
AC Milan
#10 Gabriel Martinelli
Arsenal
List compiled by FBref.
A roaming sort of winger, the 19-year-old prefers to ply his trade on the left but favours striking with his right foot, curving inwards and bypassing defenders with his tricks and weaves.
Talent scout Jacek Kulig claimed that while elegance comes as second nature to this precocious teenager, in a manner not too dissimilar to Jack Grealish, his tendency to drift inside and wreak havoc is akin to Mohamed Salah's free-scoring feats.
Martinelli is the starring member of the left channel under Arteta's guidance, but with a feeling that work is needed to preserve the attacking line's fluency for many years to come, Bynoe-Gittens' signature could be a worthy addition to the fold.
How Jamie Bynoe-Gittens compares to Gabriel Martinelli
Capable of playing on both sides of the attack but typically finding a home on the left, Bynoe-Gittens would be rival Martinelli for a starting spot in Arsenal's squad.
It's unlikely that he would usurp his 22-year-old counterpart from the off, however, given that Martinelli has just enjoyed a central role in Arsenal's title-chasing campaign.
The £180k-per-week star ranks among the top 11% of attacking midfielders and wingers for goals and the top 2% for touches in the attacking box per 90, which underlines the role he serves for his side.
Season
Apps
Goals
Assists
G/A ratio
23/24
9
1
2
0.33
22/23
36
15
5
0.56
21/22
29
6
6
0.41
20/21
14
2
1
0.21
19/20
14
3
0
0.21
Sourced via Transfermarkt
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp once pronounced the Guarulhos native as the "talent of the century", and while he might have gone too far with these particular effusive remarks, the German's embedded quality radar speaks for itself.
Ebbing and flowing from form and fitness so far this term, Martinelli could welcome the perfect rival on the left wing of Arsenal's attack with Bynoe-Gittens' arrival.
Leandro Trossard was signed from Brighton & Hove Albion for £27m in January and has been excellent so far, but he offers a different kind of dynamic threat, and the Dortmund starlet would serve as a creative force to push for the Brazilian's starting spot.
The three-cap England U21 international has not been integrated into the senior set-up in Dortmund long, but he's already proving his mettle and would be a great addition to Arteta's squad.
The fact that Martinelli and Saka ply their trade on the flanks is actually a beneficial factor for Bynoe-Gittens to consider, who could absorb the fruits of his senior peers' labours and integrate into the team with care and judiciousness.
The pointers angle toward a high-profile centre-forward acquisition at the Emirates Stadium next year, with Brentford's Ivan Toney among the names drifting around transfer circulation at present.
Bynoe-Gittens, once dubbed "one of the greatest prospects of English football" by Jan Aage Fjørtoft, could be a shrewd investment to complement the continuing construction of Arsenal's team, and given his faculty for creativity and progression, he might just be the perfect signing.
