How do you strengthen a team like Arsenal? For most of the season they have been hailed not only as England’s best team, but also as Europe’s best.
They are nine points clear at the top of the Premier League, top the Champions League, reached the Carabao Cup final and reached the quarter-finals of the FA Cup.
For those gathered at the Emirates Stadium this season, the most memorable moment so far occurred last Saturday, when Max Dauman ran almost the entire length of the pitch to become the youngest goalscorer in Premier League history.
The 16-year-old will no doubt continue to play a key role in the remainder of the campaign, but he is hoping to do even more next term.
Dauman somehow made this team even better, but how else could he strengthen it?
Arsenal’s summer transfer plans
Much of the early talk surrounding Arsenal’s summer plans revolves around the winger.
Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli are probably the weakest starters in the squad, so signing a talented left-forward will no doubt be a hit with Emirates fans.
But will Mikel Arteta have a transfer window without signing a defender? Of course not. There’s a good chance they’ll look to improve their full-back options in 2026.
Newcastle’s Tino Livramento is in the spotlight as Ben White is widely expected to leave the club due to lack of game time.
But he is not the only player Arsenal are eyeing at St James’ Park. In fact, according to a report from Caught Offside this week, Lewis Hall is in their favor.
Their sources suggest that some of Europe’s top clubs are “watching him closely”. That team is said to include not only Arsenal, but also Liverpool, Manchester City and Borussia Dortmund.
It is said that a suitor would need to make a bid in the range of £65m to £70m to leave Newcastle this summer. Unfortunately, Thun wants to release other players before letting Hall go.
Why Lewis Hall could be Arsenal’s new Rice
Declan Rice rose to fame at West Ham United, a former Chelsea youth club, where he captained the Hammers to Conference League glory before moving to Arsenal for a club-record £105 million.
The richest contract in Arsenal’s history
The Gunners have spent generously in recent years.
At the time of his transfer, Rice was already a regular in England and one of the best players in the Premier League. Not to be daunted by his impressive price tag, the midfielder has gone from strength to strength since moving from east London to north London.
He is currently one of the frontrunners for the PFA Player of the Year award, is in contention to win the Ballon d’Or and will at least end the season with the Premier League trophy.
While Hall has certainly not reached that stage of his career yet, there are some notable similarities between the two players, not least the fact that they both moved from Chelsea too early.
Hall is a graduate of Cobham Academy and made 12 appearances for the Blues. That said, they didn’t want a long-term future in him and when Newcastle made an offer of £35m it was hard to refuse.
It’s a slightly different journey than Rice, who was rejected by Chelsea as a boy, but he will likely regret the loss of both players.
Since moving to St James’ Park, Hall has won two caps for England and is one of the main candidates to start at left-back for England at the upcoming World Cup, ahead of Arsenal’s Miles Lewis-Skelly, who may not make the squad.
Hall vs Hincapie (2025/26 PL) | ||
|---|---|---|
Statistics (per 90 minutes) | hole | Hincapie |
the goal | 0.1 | 0.1 |
assist | 0.1 | 0.2 |
An opportunity has arisen | 1 | 0.7 |
Pass accuracy | 85% | 89% |
Take-up completed | 1.8 | 0.3 |
won an aerial battle | 1.3 | 1.8 |
Won a ground duel | 6.1 | 3.3 |
intercept | 1.3 | 1.2 |
Number of balls collected | 5.8 | 3.3 |
Like Rice, who ultimately left West Ham, Hall is arguably one of the most promising young players in English football at the moment, with analyst Raj Chauhan rightly hailing him as “the best left-back in the Premier League”.
He had a similar performance in the Champions League last week, scoring Lamine Yamal in Newcastle’s 1-1 draw with Barcelona.
The 21-year-old was simply sublime in that match, winning five of his eight ground fights. He was never dribbled through. In fact, Yamal, usually one of Europe’s brightest players, never even attempted a take-up. That’s how great the hall was.
The question may be asked: “Do Arsenal need a left-back?” Probably not. What will Hall do if Lewis-Skelly can’t even play?
Well, Piero Hincapie or Riccardo Calafioli could shift inside, but there are certainly doubts for the Italian at the moment. Since moving to England, his injury record has not been good.
Hall, one of the best young fullbacks in the world, would therefore be a great capture. Like Rice when he arrived at Arsenal, he has the potential to leave the rest of the Premier League behind and become a true superstar and one of the top names on the team sheet at international level.
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