Mikel Arteta is laying foundations to ensure Arsenal’s title challenge is just the start of things to come.
Arsenal go head-to-head with Manchester United on Sunday with both clubs on the rise, determined to return to their glory days. Erik ten Hag’s rebuilding job at Old Trafford has been so impressive while Arteta’s revival at the Emirates has arguably been the story of the Premier League this season.
Gunners boss Arteta is determined to build on their remarkable first half of the campaign and push their title challenge until the end. That explains their determination to strengthen the squad and the £20million-plus move for Brighton’s Belgium forward Leandro Trossard.
Trossard, 28, represents outstanding value as his contract is running down, is proven Premier League quality and he is pushing to move in this window. It is yet again more smart thinking by Arsenal after they missed out on Mykhailo Mudryk following his £87m transfer to Chelsea - and simply moved on to the next one.
Trossard is perhaps not a superstar signing but this window has to be about adding strength in depth rather than risk upsetting the harmony and dynamic in the dressing room with a big name.
Brighton forward Trossard is quick, effective and efficient. He would add quality to Arsenal’s attacking options, even if might find himself behind Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli in the battle for places on the flanks.
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Arsenal also have Emile Smith Rowe but the point is they need options and strength in every position, because it is the one thing they lack now. They are desperately short in midfield, for example, and even if Thomas Partey and Granit Xhaka are the best pairing in the Premier League, club chiefs are planning for the long term.
West Ham’s Declan Rice is a long-standing target for the summer but Arsenal also need greater depth immediately because soon the fixtures will begin to mount up as they are still in the Europa League and FA Cup, as well as the title race.
The last few windows have seen them spend big - they were the biggest Premier League spenders in 2021 - but also trim down a top-heavy squad which was so huge Arsenal could not register all the players.
Last January was a major gamble as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was the headline name in a whole host of departures, and ultimately the Gunners ran out of bodies in the push for a place in the top four. But it freed up space in the squad for new, hungry young players, and this has been a steady rebuild for Arteta over the course of his three-year reign.
Their recruitment - Arteta’s close relationship and understanding with sporting director Edu means they are on the same page - has been super smart and they have moved away from superstars to players who are ready to listen and embrace the vision.
The path ahead is very clear and it leads to their first Premier League title in 19 years. If Arsenal can finish the January transfer window feeling even stronger, then they will never have a better chance.
