Arsenal Closing In On Surprise Transfer As Final Hurdle Remains

Arsenal have been proactively approaching the summer 2025 transfer market, as they’ve already captured one of the most high-profile signings of the window in defensive midfielder Martin Zubimendi, who was on the radar of clubs as big as Liverpool and Real Madrid and Barcelona in his country of Spain.

But Arsenal fans still want to see the club go harder after a No. 9. Arsenal have one of the best defenses in European football, and with Zubimendi joining a midfield that already includes Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard, the same claim can be made about their quality in the middle of the park, too.

The problem is that Arsenal struggle to finish their chances and after years of neglecting the position, this has to be the summer that Arsenal bring in a top-class striker to lead the line.

In addition to a striker, Arsenal could use supplementary attacking players. They need depth on the wings to both compete with Gabriel Martinelli and back Bukayo Saka up, while a backup for playmaker Martin Odegaard isn’t contraindicated either.

And that’s exactly who Arsenal appear to be targeting next. According to a report from Africa Foot, Arsenal have agreed to personal terms with Leicester City attacking midfielder Bilal El Khannouss, who is also capable of starting on the left wing.

Arsenal value team-oriented players

El Khannouss’s Leicester have been demoted to the EFL Championship after a woeful return season to the Premier League, but even though El Khannouss played on an overmatched team, he still stood out as a positive for the Foxes.

Last season, the 21-year-old Moroccan international averaged 1.3 key passes and 1.1 dribbles completed per game with 1.6 tackles per match and a surprisingly low 0.5 dribbles allowed per game.

El Khannouss defended and worked hard for his team, showed real playmaking quality on a team bereft of real attacking options, and was a willing and capable progressor.

He’d bring a different profile to the table, but with his youth, upside, team-first mentality, athleticism, and potential as a playmaker, you can see why Mikel Arteta and Arsenal might be interested in bringing him in as a totally different profile to current No. 10 Odegaard.

Arsenal still have to negotiate with Leicester City over a transfer fee before a deal can be completed, but this out-of-nowhere report indicated high interest from Arsenal in El Khannouss and already completed personal terms is definitely intriguing.

El Khannouss isn’t an elite tier option on the wings or even as an attacking midfielder, but he can be a solid backup player with the upside for more. Valued at 28 million euros by Transfermarkt, Arsenal could get a potential bargain here, since players on demoted clubs tend to go for cheap.

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