Arsenal's first January transfer 'decided' as Declan Rice unleashed with £40m wonderkid arrival

Arsenal are sitting pretty in the Premier League with the January transfer window soon to open and they could bolster one key area of their squad

Arsenal could give Declan Rice some much-needed rest with their first January transfer. The Gunners are mounting a valiant Premier League title charge after an expensive summer.

Mikel Arteta has his team playing like title favourites as the turn of the year nears and his squad is much changed from the one that finished runners-up to Liverpool last season. They finally secured a striker over the summer in the form of Viktor Gyokeres.

Joining him at the Emirates were the likes of Eberechi Eze, Martin Zubimendi and Noni Madueke, with Cristhian Mosquera and Piero Hincapie providing cover at centre-back.

The Spaniard's side are well-balanced across the board but one area that seems to have become a concern in January is Rice's midfield spot. The Gunners may look to give him a worthy deputy, which could mean the Englishman is rested more often, as football.london examines the player who might be Arsenal's first January arrival.

Rice has started all but one of Arsenal's Premier League matches this season and the same goes for the Champions League. He is arguably their most influential player and if he were to be sidelined for any reason, there would be no worthy replacement.

Christian Norgaard, Zubimendi and Mikel Merino could all fill in for Rice, with Norgaard perhaps being the most attuned to the role he plays.

However, Merino and Zubimendi are needed for different roles and would leave holes if either deputised for Rice. Norgaard is 31 and hasn't exactly looked up to Premier League quality this season.

Therefore, in January it seems like a back-up for Rice is priority number one and Lille's Ayyoub Bouaddi has now emerged as their prospective first signing.

According to reports in France, Arsenal are preparing an offer for the 18-year-old midfield starlet, with Andrea Berta supposedly leading the discussions. Bouaddi only made his professional debut for Lille in 2023 but has since emerged as one of Europe's most promising young holding midfielders.

It is his attributes that draw a slight comparison to Rice, as he possesses a brilliant range of passing and acts as a deep-lying playmaker. His technical ability is top class, as is his composure on the ball.

However, such brilliant characteristics have essentially sounded the dinner bell, with a range of top European clubs keeping a close eye on the Frenchman. These reportedly include Liverpool, Chelsea, PSG and Real Madrid, among others.

Reports suggest Arsenal are set to make the first move, with a roughly £40million bid in the works and ready to be submitted during the January window.

Bouaddi may not be the only arrival in January. Arsenal have long been interested in a game-changing winger and although they have added Eze, the likes of Real Madrid's Rodrygo and Athletic Club's Nico Williams continue to see their names linked with a move to the Emirates. The potential sale of Leandro Trossard could facilitate such a blockbuster transfer.

But bringing in Bouaddi would be an astute move, and ensure Rice is at his best come the latter stages of the season.