Arsenal have made an encouraging start to the 2023/24 campaign, as Mikel Arteta’s side remain unbeaten in the Premier League after their opening nine games.
The Gunners have overcome challenges against Spurs, Manchester United, Manchester City, and Chelsea within the first leg of the season, with all signs pointing to another title race being on the cards.
While the North Londoners achieved a lot last term, primarily by weaving their way back into the top four, and subsequently, the Champions League, Arsenal were left somewhat deflated by not winning the league after leading for so long.
Manchester City won the title, beating the Gunners to top spot by five points on the home straight, as Arteta’s lack of squad depth was exposed in the latter stages of the campaign.
The summer transfer window was an opportunity grasped by the Spaniard to bolster his depth, to which he welcomed four new faces to the Emirates in preparation for the busy schedule ahead.
Taking into account injury and the demand of the 2023/24 calendar, sources have pointed to additional reinforcements that could replenish Arsenal’s squad in January, with focus on two areas of the pitch.
Arsenal transfer targets
The midfield and the front line seem to be the two focal points of the Gunners’ January targets, with a range of players speculated to be of interest to the Premier League outfit.
Relating to the strike department, Ivan Toney has been named as a player who is admired by Arsenal, with sources claiming that a move for the Brentford talisman in January could be sanctioned.
Over in the Eredivisie, Europe’s current leading scorer of 2023/24 is said to be of interest to the Gunners, with Feyenoord hitman Santiago Gimenez reported in Spain to be on the wishlist of Atletico Madrid, Spurs, Chelsea and Arsenal, as relayed by The Hard Tackle.
Despite spending a club-record fee of £105m to acquire Declan Rice in the summer, Arteta appears to be eyeing additional quality to compliment the engine room.
One name rumoured is Brazilian star Andre Trindade, who 90min claimed is of interest to Arsenal and Liverpool, and he is said to be valued by Fluminense at around £34m by reports in Brazil.
While the latest target may not be listed as one to be potentially acquired in January and more likely the summer of 2024, the impact he could have on the Gunners would be huge.
Football Transfers has claimed that Arsenal have set their sights on Real Madrid midfielder, Aurelien Tchouameni, who they report was a player that Arteta and Edu contacted Los Blancos about in the summer.
The site speculates that the Premier League side will go back knocking for the Frenchman in 2024, in a move that could change the dynamic of the club’s midfield.
Why Arsenal are right to be interested in Tchouameni
Once lauded as a player that is “out of this world” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, Tchouameni’s rise to stardom in Europe has been admirable, with the midfielder rising through the ranks of French football before joining Real Madrid in 2022.
Just one year ago, Football Transfers documented the 23-year-old’s expected transfer value (xTV) at €47.6m (£41.4m), where it has since increased by over 110% to a sum of €100m (£87m), via CIES Football Observatory.
The Frenchman made quite the impression during his first season in La Liga, where in the 2022/23 campaign, he averaged the highest pass completion rate of any midfielder in the league, averaging 92.8% per 90, via FBref.
Deployed as a defensive midfielder, the former Monaco spectacle has all the elements to thrive in any midfield, displaying the perfect combination of a combative and elegant nature in the engine room.
While the France international has been a top performer within La Liga, his level of performance has seen him rank as one of the best in Europe, as highlighted in the table below.
Aurelien Tchouameni per 90 averages last 365 days
Statistic
Average
Rank in Europe
Pass completion %
92.4%
Top 1%
Final 3rd passes
7.72
Top 6%
Interceptions
1.80
Top 5%
Aerials won
2.33
Top 6%
% of aerials won
74.4%
Top 1%
Passes blocked
0.38
Top 2%
% of dribblers tackled
60.0%
Top 4%
Via FBref
Dubbed as “phenomenal” during his time at Monaco by journalist Zach Lowy, Tchouameni’s development at the mere age of 23 has been extraordinary, telling of exactly what he could install at Arsenal, should rumours be believed.
If the stature and quality of the player alone wasn’t enough to convince critics that he would be a perfect fit in Arteta’s side, the numbers will, with FBref declaring him as statistically comparable to both Rice and Thomas Partey.
Aurelien Tchouameni could be the perfect heir to Thomas Partey
While Arteta has a strong foundation in his midfield with the presence of Rice and Partey, there are some reservations over the Ghanaian’s future suitability to the side.
The 30-year-old has missed almost 300 days to injury since joining Arsenal in 2020, with the start to this season jaded by him being already absent for 30 days as he nursed a groin injury.
Added to such woes, journalist Jason Soutar relayed news coming out of Italy claiming that Partey is feeling “increasingly dissatisfied” with his start to the season, adding that he could opt to leave the Emirates in January.
With reference to the Ghana international’s injury troubles and dissatisfaction with life in north London, it could pave the way for a talent like Tchouameni to be introduced to Arteta’s project.
As portrayed in the table below, the 23-year-old excels in areas vital for a player in their role in comparison to Partey, showcasing that the 6 foot 2 Frenchman could represent a rejuvenated wave of talent in the midfield at Arsenal.
Partey vs Tchouameni past 365 averages per 90
Thomas Partey
Aurelien Tchouameni
Pass completion %
83.3%
92.4%
Interceptions
0.91
1.80
Aerials won
1.36
2.33
Final 3rd passes
9.40
7.72
Passes blocked
0.58
0.38
% of dribblers tackled
54.2%
60.0%
% aerials won
57.9%
74.4%
Via FBref
There are elements beyond his likeness to Partey that suggest he could be the key to taking the Gunners to the next level, with his playing style also matching that of Rice.
The idea of the two midfielders combining in North London could vastly speed up the rate of Arteta’s bid for silverware, with the duo both tactically matched to play in the Spaniard’s free-flowing and distribution-heavy engine room.
Arsenal tick best when there is an anchor present in the middle of the park, allowing Rice to progress upfield and showcase his strengths in advanced areas, in Tchouameni, Arteta could capture his long-term anchor.
When revising his innate reading of the game in a defensive light based on his averages displayed in the table above, the France international is one of the best at tidying up in midfield, a strength that Arsenal could benefit from should they lose Partey.
While the interest remains solely as speculation, the idea of signing Tchouameni to replace Partey sheds a narrative of a thing of natural progression, only time will tell if the Gunners are serious about their target.