How do you strengthen a team that has just won the Premier League and reached the Champions League final? Well, Arsenal have a plan and it’s really exciting.
After winning the league, manager Josh Kroenke admitted plans were already underway to strengthen the squad, and although the trading period only started on Monday, the Gunners will appear to be working hard to complete early reinforcements.
Arsenal will have to sell. It is recognized that players such as Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard could leave, but replacements are being prepared.
Club Brugge winger Christos Tzoris has emerged as a market opportunity for the Gunners, while their dream target is likely to be Aston Villa and England forward Morgan Rodgers.
Arsenal in talks for more exciting signing than Rodgers
With just one day left until the game, Arsenal’s biggest goal is clear. Rogers.
Reports in recent weeks have confirmed that the Gunners are already holding behind-the-scenes talks with the player’s camp, but it appears Villa are not interested in selling. There is a price tag of between £80m and £100m on his head.
This is a big-ticket deal and Arsenal are unlikely to spend £100m on a single player this summer. A move could be agreed if the price can be brought down to around £80m.
Between Tzoris and Rodgers, Mikel Arteta will significantly strengthen his forward line, but there are also plans for Martin Zvimendi to strengthen a midfield that was somewhat worn out at the end of last season. That’s not surprising considering how much distance he covered in 2025/26 compared to players in his position.
Midfielder movement distance – 25/26 PL | |
|---|---|
player | Number of kilometers traveled |
1. Elliot Anderson | 318.6 |
2. Bernardo Silva | 304.9 |
3. Ethan Ampadu | 302.2 |
4. Enzo Fernandes | 294.1 |
5. Thunder Verge | 289.6 |
6. Martin Zvimendi | 282.4 |
7. Bruno Fernandes | 282.3 |
8. Declan Rice | 281.7 |
9. Mateus Fernandes | 279.3 |
10. Granit Xhaka | 277.1 |
As a result, they have turned their attention to Ayyoub Bouadi, and not just since his brilliant performance for Morocco against Brazil last weekend. He is a young player that the Gunners have been keeping an eye on for a while.
Appearing on his YouTube channel on Saturday, Fabrizio Romano revealed: “Many clubs are following Bouadi. He is a special talent. He has always been on PSG’s shortlist, but we will have to see if PSG change their strategy as they focus on attack and centre-backs.”
“And we have to pay close attention to the English clubs. Arsenal and Liverpool have already had several meetings with his agent since January and a few weeks ago. Both clubs are very interested.”
Previous reports outlined that it could cost around £60 million to lure him away from French shores.
Why Bouadi is more exciting than Rodgers
If there was one area where Arsenal struggled last season, it was attack. Bukayo Saka struggled for form and fitness, Victor Gokeres never quite convinced after his big-money move, Martinelli scored just one goal in all league games and Trossard failed to score once in 25 games.
As a result, signing a large number of new forwards should be Arteta and Berta’s biggest priority this season. That said, you can afford to be picky here. After all, they are Premier League champions.
What Arsenal need this summer is a winger. While Tzoris is a versatile winger, Rodgers is more of an attacking midfielder, no matter how good he has been for Villa in recent years. He was cut from a similar cloth as Eberechi Eze. He can play behind the striker, but also on the flanks.
He would be a great signing, don’t get me wrong. He has now scored 14 goals in consecutive seasons and could be a game-changer for the club’s attacking line. That said, if they are going to spend over £100m they need to ensure he is a difference maker across the board. The jury is still out on this point.
Bouadi, on the other hand, would probably be an even better signing than Rodgers, and an even more exciting signing.
why? Well, as he already showed at the World Cup, he is one of the best young players on the planet. Bouadi is a well-known name in France and has been for some time now. He made his senior debut with Lille at the age of 16, but his performance against Brazil a few days earlier made him famous around the world.
Bouadi vs Brazil | |
|---|---|
play time | 90 |
touch | 87 |
exact path | 60/66 (91%) |
dribbling success | 3/5 |
tackle | 4 |
clearance | 1 |
collect | 6 |
Won a ground duel | 9/14 |
There is a foul | 2x |
He easily overwhelmed the proven midfielder. Casemiro, Fabinho and Bruno Guimarães were all left fooled by the talented teenager. He evaded the press with ease, calmly carried the ball forward, won it back with his long legs, and galloped like a prize-winning racehorse. As Arsenal writer Adam Keyes puts it, “Bouadi has the long legs of Vieira and Diaby, allowing him to make tackles in all directions and run through the middle with a wide range of strides.”
Performances like this from 18-year-old Declan Rice proved why he is already one of the most elite midfielders in the world.
This is a player who has been active in Ligue 1 for many years. Especially when it comes to Arteta, he has the perfect profile. He likes to scout from within the Premier League and I know that’s an interest in Rodgers, but he also likes to scout big, physical players.
Bouadi has all the grace of a top midfielder, but at 6ft 1in he has the physical attributes to match. Rodgers is a dream target to strengthen the front line, but the Moroccan sensation needs to be the overall No. 1 target.
We are watching a generational talent learn his trade here, having made an all-around impact on the biggest stage against the most successful nation in World Cup history. It doesn’t get any better than that.
Like fellow teenager Miles Lewis-Skelly, this is a young player who hasn’t let his circumstances overwhelm him. He just enjoys the big moments and doesn’t shy away from them. Can you imagine the two of them working together with Rice? It’s a mouth-watering thought, it really is.
Just £60m would be a small sum in a market where Elliott Anderson is set to move for a top fee of £120m.
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