Arsenal submit bid to sign new midfielder

Asked about Arsenal‘s signing of Declan Rice, the club’s co-owner Josh Kroenke remarked last week that it was a “gigantic moment”. Quite.

If there was one signing along the way to being crowned Premier League champions that made the biggest difference, it was certainly the arrival of Rice. It’s probably up there with Mikel Arteta’s appointment in terms of importance.

Never before had the Gunners spent over £100m on a player but when the former West Ham man looked for pastures new, they knew they needed to go big in order to beat Manchester City to his signature.

Lo and behold, they ultimately ended up spending £105m to bring him to the Emirates. Has a signing that big ever felt like a bargain? Well, it does in this case. Throw another £100m at the Hammers; he’s worth that to Arsenal.

Now, three years on from when he first put pen to paper, the Gunners are looking for their next Rice.

Arsenal searching for midfield recruits this summer

A big summer is on the cards for Kroenke, Andrea Berta and Co. Arsenal need to back up what they achieved in 2025/26 and go one better by winning the Champions League.

One of the priority positions for the recruitment team to bolster is in the middle of the park. Myles Lewis-Skelly’s emergence may alter their plans somewhat but there is still a desire to strengthen the midfield.

Their shortlist of options includes Mateus Fernandes at West Ham with club-to-clubs reportedly already underway there. Newcastle United’s Sandro Tonali is also a player high up in their thinking.

The Gunners first looked at him last winter and while a move did not come to fruition, he is back on their radar this summer. That said, Fernandes has been touted at £80m and Tonali could cost as much as £100m.

As a result, a cheaper alternative may well be sought. According to Africa Foot, that could well be Lille superstar Ayoub Bouaddi.

They report this week that they have actually submitted a bid to sign the player, although their initial advances have been rejected by the French club.

It’s noted that an offer of £52m was submitted to the Ligue 1 side. Arsenal scouts have been watching Bouaddi for a while now but they will have to up their offer by another £10m or so if they want to bring him to England.

They also face competition from Liverpool, Manchester United, Chelsea and Real Madrid to secure his signature.

Why Bouaddi could be Arsenal’s new Declan Rice

Why do Arsenal need a new midfielder after signing Martin Zubimendi and Christian Norgaard last summer? Well, neither have worked out perfectly.

Norgaard was never going to be a regular but even he will have expected to have started more than one Premier League match all season.

As for Zubimendi, while he started the term strongly in London, he tailed off towards the back end of the campaign and fell out of favour with Arteta. Myles Lewis-Skelly was preferred instead.

It was quite the revival for the teenager who had barely kicked a ball until being given a rare start in the 3-0 win over Fulham. The Hale Ender took full advantage of that, shining as he subsequently became a very important part of the squad again. He even started the Champions League final.

However, the fact Zubimendi played the third most minutes of any player in the Arsenal team this season – Rice was second – speaks volumes. They need more depth and more competition for places. Bouaddi could provide them with exactly that.

Aged just 18, the Morocco international is one of the best young players in Europe right now and certainly one of the best currently playing in the French top-flight.

He made his debut for Lille aged just 16 and three months. He’s cut from a similar cloth as Ethan Nwaneri and Max Dowman in terms of the age the midfielder burst onto the scene.

Hailed as a player who could “go on to be £100m midfielder” by Como scout Ben Mattinson, the hype surrounding this young and talented starlet is real.

Looking at the raw data, it might not appeal that greatly. Playing as a deep-lying number 6 for Lille, he did not score all season and only provided one assist. Yet, if you watch him regularly you get a sense that he could well be another Rice in the making.

Standing at 6 foot 1, Bouaddi has a tall and wirey frame that looks similar to Rice when he’s carrying the ball through the middle of the pitch. Speaking of carrying, he’s particularly strong in that department.

At his age, he is never going to be right alongside Rice in terms of data but it’s promising for an 18-year-old. In Europe’s top five leagues, the Moroccan gem ranks in the top 19% of midfielders for progressive carries per 90 with 1.39. As for Arsenal’s record signing, he’s among the finest 9% with 2.06 per 90.

That said, he is actually ahead of Arsenal’s number 41 in the dribbling department. Bouaddi completes 1.31 successful dribbles per 90 to Rice’s 0.41.

One of the teenager’s best qualities is the way he evades the press and then charges through the midfield, a trait the England international has also developed since.

He’s also a battler. As the aforementioned Mattinson outlines, his “long legs give him better reach in tackles, and he congests duels a lot by quickly closing the gap between him and the attacker. Bouaddi’s anticipation in particular is impressive.”

That’s certainly showcased in the numbers. Rice makes 2.74 tackles and interceptions per 90 in comparison to Bouaddi’s 3.17.

Furthermore, this is a player who like Rice could play further forward. Mattinson notes how his long levers and composure would make him a “great box-crashing 8”.

A player with elite potential, this would actually be a very smart signing, especially when Arsenal already boasting three experienced midfielders. Future proofing is never a bad thing.