How do you improve a squad like Arsenal‘s? For much of the season, they have been celebrated as not just the best squad in England, but also the best squad in Europe.
They are nine points clear at the top of the Premier League table, topped the Champions League’s league phase, are in the final of the Carabao Cup and also the quarter-finals of the FA Cup.
It’s been one hell of a ride for those at the Emirates Stadium this term, with the most memorable moment so far playing out last Saturday when Max Dowman ran nearly the length of the pitch before becoming the youngest goal scorer in Premier League history.
The 16-year-old will no doubt continue to play an important part in what remains of the campaign but expect him to make an even bigger splash next term.
Dowman has somehow made this squad even better but how else could they strengthen?
Arsenal’s summer transfer plans
Much of the early chatter surrounding Arsenal’s summer plans revolves around a winger.
Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli are arguably the weakest starters in the team so signing a high-calibre left forward would no doubt go down a treat among fans at the Emirates.
However, would it be a Mikel Arteta-led transfer window without signing a defender? Of course not. In 2026, they could well look at improving their options at full-back.
With Ben White widely expected to leave after suffering from a lack of game time, Newcastle’s Tino Livramento has appeared on their radar.
However, he’s not the only player at St James’ Park that Arsenal have cast their eyes in the direction of. Indeed, according to a report from Caught Offside this week, Lewis Hall has taken their fancy.
Their sources suggest that several of Europe’s top clubs have been ‘closely monitoring’ him. Those sides are said to include not just Arsenal, but also Liverpool, Manchester City and Borussia Dortmund.
It’s said that any suitor this summer would have to make a bid in the region of £65m-£70m to see him depart Newcastle. Unfortunately, the Toon are hoping to offload other players before letting go of Hall.
Why Lewis Hall could be another Rice for Arsenal
Once of the Chelsea academy, it was at West Ham United where Declan Rice made a name for himself, becoming the Hammers’ captain, taking them to Conference League glory and then making a club-record £105m move to Arsenal.
At the time of his move, Rice was already an England regular and one of the best players in the Premier League. Not overawed by his jaw-dropping price tag, the midfielder has only gone from strength to strength after swapping east London for north London.
He’s now one of the favourites to win the PFA Player of the Year award, is in contention to win the Ballon d’Or and is likely to walk away from this season with, at the very least, the Premier League trophy.
While Hall is certainly not at that stage of his career yet, there are some remarkable similarities between the two players, not least the fact that they were both shipped on by Chelsea far too early.
Hall is a Cobham academy graduate and appeared on 12 occasions for the Blues. That said, they didn’t fancy his long-term future and when Newcastle came calling to the tune of £35m, it was hard to turn down.
It’s a slightly different journey to Rice, who was rejected by Chelsea as a boy, but it’s likely they will regret losing the pair of them.
Since heading to St James’ Park, Hall has been capped twice by England and is one of the main contenders to start at left-back for England at the upcoming World Cup, ahead of Arsenal’s Myles Lewis-Skelly, who may not even make the squad.
|
Hall vs Hincapie (2025/26 PL) |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Stat (per 90 mins) |
Hall |
Hincapie |
|
Goals |
0.1 |
0.1 |
|
Assists |
0.1 |
0.2 |
|
Chances created |
1 |
0.7 |
|
Pass accuracy |
85% |
89% |
|
Take-ons completed |
1.8 |
0.3 |
|
Aerial duels won |
1.3 |
1.8 |
|
Ground duels won |
6.1 |
3.3 |
|
Interceptions |
1.3 |
1.2 |
|
Ball recoveries |
5.8 |
3.3 |
Like Rice when he finally left West Ham, Hall is easily one of the most promising young players in English football at the moment, rightfully hailed as “the best left-back in the Premier League bar none” by analyst Raj Chohan.
He demonstrated as much in the Champions League last week when he locked down Lamine Yamal in Newcastle’s 1-1 draw with Barcelona.
In that game, the 21-year-old was simply sublime, winning five of his eight ground duels. He wasn’t dribbled past a single time either. In fact, Yamal, usually one of the most dazzling players in Europe, did not even attempt a single take-on. That’s how good Hall was.
The question may well be posed: do Arsenal need a left-back? Probably not. If Lewis-Skelly cannot even get any game time, how will Hall?
Well, Piero Hincapie could shift inside, as could Riccardo Calafiori, but there are certainly doubts about the Italian right now. His injury record simply hasn’t been good enough since moving to England.
So, Hall, one of the best young full-backs in the world, would be a fabulous capture. Like Rice when he arrived at Arsenal, he has the potential to leave another Premier League team behind and become a genuine superstar and one of the first names on the team sheet at international level.
After Dowman’s goal: Arteta’s modern-day Bergkamp looks finished at Arsenal
Arsenal’s Max Dowman looks like a talent for the ages.