Arsenal are enjoying a strong start to the 2023/24 campaign under Mikel Arteta, after concluding the previous season on a high note following their Premier League title charge.
The Gunners will feel some disappointment in not winning the league after leading for so long last term, however what was evident was the progression that the squad has experienced during the manager’s tenure.
Despite sitting in fourth and only three points off the summit of the table, there have already been glaring comparisons to the club’s weaknesses last campaign, as lack of squad depth has hit Arsenal early.
From injury woes to lack of performance, Arteta has some questions to answer with reference to the Gunners’ recent dip in form, which has entailed some rotation to the favoured XI.
Luckily for the Spaniard, the January transfer window is looming, and with the chance to welcome reinforcements in the winter, the north Londoners could finally identify the personnel needed to help them close in on their first league title in almost 20 years.
Arsenal's January transfer targets
Placing the recurring theme of a need for a clinical striker aside, another area that is likely to be bolstered in January is the midfield.
Despite signing Declan Rice for a club-record fee of £105m in the summer, Arteta and Edu could look to strengthen the engine room further, particularly as rumours regarding Thomas Partey’s future circulate.
One player that was audaciously identified as a potential target is Real Madrid enforcer Aurelien Tchouameni, who Football Transfers claim is the Gunners’ primary target for 2024.
With a market value of €100m (£87m), the Frenchman would be a blockbuster signing for Arteta to acquire, however, the probability of a move of that stature coming in January could prove to be financially difficult.
Fortunately, the 23-year-old isn’t the only midfielder said to be on Arsenal’s radar, as Brazilian sensation Andre Trindade has been identified as a point of interest for January.
The 22-year-old was said to be a target for the north Londoners by 90min last month, after Liverpool failed to sign the Fluminense star in the summer.
Latest news from Brazil, relayed on Twitter X by an Arsenal source, has named the Gunners as one of the clubs that sent scouts to watch the midfielder in action in the Copa Libertadores final last week.
It’s added that representatives from Liverpool and Fulham were also in attendance, with the stance there that Fluminense 'have an agreement' to sell the 22-year-old in January for a price believed to be in the region of €35m (£30m).
Considering that Jurgen Klopp’s side padded their squad out with four new midfielders in the summer window, Arsenal could be in good stead to capture Andre, if the club act fast in paying the fee desired by Fluminense.
Andre’s playing style
In Andre, Arteta could discover the missing piece to his puzzle in the engine room in a player capable of being silky in possession and distribution, as well as having the combative edge to defend the back line.
Dubbed an “unbelievable” talent backed to “flourish in the Premier League” by South American football expert, Nathan Joyes, £30m could prevail to be a steal for the magnitude of player that the Gunners could capture.
As for his playing style, the nimble 5 foot 9 extraordinaire has been identified by scouting site Breaking the Lines as the 'modern-day defensive midfielder that almost any club in world football would want'.
Why? Well, Andre is noted as a 'dynamic and mobile' ball carrier by Breaking the Lines, with his favoured strength being his ability to be seen 'waltzing forward' from deeper areas to progress play into advanced areas.
The site describes his role in the engine room as Fluminense 'recycling play through him', with reference to his tireless movement in the middle channels to ensure the game ticks on both defensively and offensively.
Due to his tidiness when deployed as in the ‘number six’ role, U23 scout Antonio Mango handed the Brazilian the title of “the orchestrator” for his no-nonsense approach to controlling the midfield.
How Andre compares to Premier League midfielders
While the praise surrounding the 22-year-old paints an encouraging picture for Arsenal, his impressive statistics are another thing to be hailed.
On paper, the Brazil international is a robust and precise asset in the midfield, however as many players find, the Premier League can pose a challenge for new arrivals which can halt progression while one adapts.
When comparing Andre to a selected midfielder from each of the Premier League’s current top four clubs, it’s clear to see why Joyes expects the promising maestro to fit into the English top flight with ease.
Statistic
Andre
Yves Bissouma
Rodri
Declan Rice
Dominik Szoboszlai
Pass completion %
94.2%
91.1%
94.1%
91.5%
84.8%
Progressive passes
6.71
7.45
10.48
7.05
7.27
Progressive carries
1.97
3.00
2.47
1.55
2.70
Successful take-ons
1.43
2.23
1.36
0.58
1.21
Key passes
0.80
0.56
0.99
0.77
2.42
Tackles
2.01
3.56
2.22
2.22
1.31
Interceptions
1.17
1.89
0.74
1.45
0.65
Dribblers tackled %
56.8%
78.3%
58.3%
47.4%
24.1%
Per 90 figures via FBref
The Fluminense star records the highest pass completion rate from the pack, as well as showing promising signs in both his ball-carrying and defensive attributes, reinforcing that he could be well sculpted to play in England.
For Arsenal, there are a host of reasons as to why the 2001-born gem would be a strong acquisition, with his potential partnership with Rice the driving force behind his most capture-worthy strengths.
The stats that show that Andre would be a good signing for Arsenal
As documented by Breaking the Lines, Andre thrives in assuming the ‘number six’ role, with him working primarily in a double-pivot within a 4-2-3-1 and 4-3-3 formation.
Arteta lines Arsenal up in identical fashion, with the likes of Rice and Partey protecting both the defence behind them, and Martin Odegaard in front of them to act as a metronome in the Gunners’ favoured XI.
Expelling Partey from the picture, Andre could be the ideal partner for the north Londoners’ £105m man, based on his opposing strengths to the 6 foot 1 commander that arrived in the summer.
As portrayed in the table above, the duo showcase exemplary passing qualities with an eye for progressive play, however the Brazilian is a strong ball carrier, attributable to his smaller frame and fluid movements between the lines.
Once lauded as one of the “biggest jewels” in South America by talent scout Jacek Kulig, Arteta could unearth the perfect combination in Arsenal’s midfield, in a move that could bolster both the squad and Rice’s role in the engine room.
With both players boasting the ability to hold their own, the pair could rotate in who assumes the role of the anchor, with the former West Ham United captain showing his recent form in the final third at the Emirates.
For just £30m, Arteta could banish the uncertainty in Arsenal’s midfield by capturing the signature of Andre, who could prevail to be one of the next top talents to grace the Premier League.