This group of Arsenal players have experienced significant ups and downs since Mikel Arteta took over as manager.
There was further heartbreak for Budapest when they finally won the Premier League title in 2026 after finishing second for three years in a row, but lost in the Champions League final.
Still, the Gunners will be back. Arteta is building a dynasty, and at the center of it are five key figures. David Raya, William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhães, Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka. They feel like untouchables on this side.
They have been through everything with their manager and will remain a core member of the squad next season, but they could also be joined by Europe’s best young talent.
When it comes to immediate improvements to the squad, potential targets Eli Junior Crupi from Bournemouth and Morgan Rodgers from Aston Villa tick a lot of boxes.
However, the Gunners are also looking further into the future.
Arsenal nearing exciting double deal
The transfer window won’t officially open until next week, but Andrea Berta is already working hard behind the scenes to arrange a number of exciting deals.
Berta and Arteta appear to be leaning towards tried-and-true options in the Premier League once again, with talks already underway with Rodgers and Crupi’s representatives to gauge their interest and consider what is needed to complete a move.
This attacking pair were two of the best players in the top flight this season. No teenager has scored more goals (13) than Crupi in his debut season in the Premier League. As for Rodgers, he won the Europa League and scored 14 goals in all competitions.
They will instantly improve Arsenal’s frontline, but it’s not all about now. In fact, according to TEAMtalk, the north Londoners are inching closer to completing the deals of Leicester City’s Jeremy Monga and PSG’s Emmanuel Mbemba.
According to reports, Arteta and Berta have spoken privately with Monga during negotiations and Monga is confident the Gunners are the right choice for him. Therefore, we are confident that the relocation will be completed soon.
The 16-year-old has not yet signed a professional contract with the Foxes, but is expected to do so in the coming weeks. Nevertheless, fees will likely need to be agreed through the courts.
As for Mbemba, Arsenal are ‘in the lead’ on signing him. The 18-year-old’s contract with Paris expires this summer and negotiations with the player’s camp are ongoing. Like Monga, he currently supports a move to the Emirates Stadium.
Why Monga and Mbemba are special
Adding two teenagers to the team might not have been expected by fans after winning the league, but there are plenty of reasons to be genuinely excited.
Monga’s performance could help Arsenal win the race to sign one of the brightest young players in English football. He is the third-youngest player in Premier League history after Ethan Nwaneri and Max Doman, with Como scout Ben Mattinson calling him ‘England’s Ousmane Dembele’.
It is remarkable to consider that despite being only 16 years old, Monga has already made 37 appearances in senior football.
So what is he all about? In the words of Leicester City writer Josh Holland: “Monga plays football like he’s playing on the street. He’s a good ball carrier, obsessed with beating opponents and getting forward.”
Youngest player in Premier League history | |
|---|---|
player | Debut age |
1) Ethan Nwaneri (Arsenal) | 15 years 5 months |
2) Max Doman (Arsenal) | 15 years 7 months |
3) Jeremy Monga (Leicester) | 15 years 8 months |
4) Harvey Elliott (Fulham) | 16 years 1 month |
5) Matt Briggs (Fulham) | 16 years 2 months |
6) Izzy Brown (West Brom) | 16 years 3 months |
7) Aaron Lennon (Leeds) | 16 years 4 months |
8) Jose Baxter (Everton) | 16 years 6 months |
9) Joel Drakes-Thomas (Palace) | 16 years 6 months |
10) Gary McSheffrey (Coventry) | 16 years 6 months |
In that respect, he is a player very similar to Saka. He has a slender build and is small in stature, but there is something Jeremy Dok-like about the way he dribbles and manipulates the ball in tight spaces.
A clinical finisher and talented creator, the left-winger looks like the real deal and could have a huge impact on Arsenal in the coming years.
In the case of Mbemba, he will not be very familiar to British audiences, but like Monga, he is also an exceptionally talented young player. He looks a bit like William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhães.
Like Saliba, he will arrive from France as a teenage defender, but the comparisons don’t end there. Scout Jacek Kulig described him as “one of the most exciting centre-backs of his generation in Europe” and, like Arsenal’s French centre-back, “reads the game with keen anticipation and clever positioning”.
Additionally, in the words of the aforementioned Mattinson, the teenage defender is “good one-on-one.” Like Saliba, he is extremely difficult to pass and is also an admirably clinical passer. Mattison points out how he makes “great long passes out to the wing.”
He may be more of a left-sided centre-back like Gabriel, but given many of his attributes, and indeed the fact that he is French, comparisons to Saliba are quite natural.
Arsenal are desperate for a win right now, but in the form of Monga and Mbemba they could be looking to bring in two reinforcements who can ensure success for years to come.
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