Arsenal's dream January transfer window: Bouaddi IN, Trossard OUT

Analysis

League leaders Arsenal’s nearly €300 million summer spending spree has paid dividends so far, but there is always room for improvement.

The Gunners are coming off three consecutive second-place finishes in the Premier League and Mikel Arteta and his team appear intent on avoiding that fate this time around.

With eight first-team players arriving over the summer, there is not much space within the Arsenal squad. Still, the team is in the middle of an injury crisis and could use some fresh legs.

Below, FootballTransfers runs through Chelsea’s dream January transfer window.

In: Ayyoub Bouaddi

Any top team needs to ensure it has rising talent, and few talents in Europe are rising faster than Lille midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi.

The 18-year-old France U21 international is ever-present for his club, having appeared in 14 Ligue 1 matches and five Europa League matches this season.

Bouaddi would also provide an alternative to Martin Zubimendi in defensive midfield, which is necessary since Mikel Arteta has not trusted summer arrival Christian Norgaard to fill that role.

The young midfielder is active defensively with 1.81 tackles, 5.26 duels won, 1.04 aerial duels won, and 0.60 possessions won in the attacking third, and those numbers should only improve as he gets older.

Going forward, he ranks as one of the best long passers in the world, as he completes 90.1% of his passes that travel at least 30 yards.

He would cost at least €40 million, but the right offer could be too good for Lille to turn down.

Out: Leandro Trossard

Leandro Trossard leads Arsenal in goal contributions in both the Premier League and in all competitions, but it’s time for the Gunners to cash in on the 31-year-old.

Arsenal has struggled to sell players in recent years, as only Folarin Balogun, Emile Smith Rowe, Eddie Nketiah, and Aaron Ramsdale have gone for fees over €20 million.

Trossard, who rarely appears satisfied to play anything less than a substantial role, is not far away from being overtaken in the pecking order by quicker players in 24-year-old Gabriel Martinelli or 23-year-old Noni Madueke.

Arsenal sporting director Andre Berta might as well speed that process up by selling the experienced Belgian.

In: Nathaniel Brown

Mikel Arteta loves versatile defenders, and Eintracht Frankfurt’s 22-year-old left-sided player Nathaniel Brown fits that bill.

The two-time Germany international can play anywhere on the left flank, and he is an active defender.

Brown averages 2.73 tackles, 4.63 duels won, 1.08 interceptions, 4.22 ball recoveries, and 0.50 possessions won in the attacking third per 90 minutes, all of which rank in the top 35% of fullbacks in the top five leagues.

The German’s presence would provide depth and allow Riccardo Calafiori or Piero Hincapie to focus on playing centre-back amid Gabriel Magalhaes’ injury-enforced absence.

Out: Myles Lewis-Skelly

Brown’s arrival would allow 19-year-old left-back Myles Lewis-Skelly to leave the club on loan.

After breaking through last season alongside fellow Hale End product Ethan Nwaneri and hearing his name linked with a place in the England squad for the 2026 World Cup, Lewis-Skelly has found playing time hard to come by with just six starts and 738 minutes played in all competitions.

Playing time is the most important thing for a player Lewis-Skelly’s age, and going out on loan would only help his development.

The FootballTransfers app

Check out FootballTransfers' new app for all of football's big storylines, transfer rumours and exclusive news in one convenient place directly on your mobile device.

The FootballTransfers app is available in the Apple App Store. Download here:

•App Store