Mikel Arteta’s project has seen Arsenal establish themselves as one of the most attractive clubs in world football once again – to the extent that Champions League stars are publicly expressing their desire to complete a move to the Emirates.
The Gunners endured a dismal period in the latter stages of Arsene Wenger’s era and under Unai Emery, in which they failed to qualify for the Champions League for six consecutive years. This, unsurprisingly, had ramifications on their pulling power in the transfer market, and Arteta subsequently had to rebuild the North London club’s appeal over a protracted period of time.
Now, however, Arsenal are perennial title challengers and can draw just about anyone on the planet to ply their trade in N5.
Bayer Leverkusen star says he’d ‘love’ to play for Arsenal
Arsenal are reportedly interested in signing Julian Alvarez this summer. Just a few years ago, enacting a deal of this magnitude would have been unthinkable for the Gunners, but times have changed. It’s understood that Alvarez is potentially interested in swapping Madrid for North London, and this is certainly a glistening indication of Arsenal’s growing reputation in Europe.
Alvarez isn’t the only player who has shown an interest in moving to the Emirates. Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Malik Tillman has publicly expressed his admiration for the Gunners.
Tillman told B/R Football that he would love to play for Arsenal if he were to get the opportunity.
“It’s a tough one. I don’t have a favourite team,” he said.
“But if there’s one club I would love to play for, it’s Arsenal.”
Tillman has enjoyed a successful career since opting to leave Bayern Munich in 2024. The American had stints on loan at Rangers and PSV Eindhoven before choosing to join the Dutch side permanently, having struggled to break into Bayern’s first team.
Now a regular at Leverkusen, following a €35 million euro switch last summer, the midfielder is thriving in the Bundesliga and Champions League. Whether he would be a player of interest to Arsenal remains to be seen, but it’s clear that he would be more than open to the potential switch.
Would Malick Tillman be a good addition for Arsenal?
As much as Tillman might be eager to sign for Arsenal, it’s much less clear that the Gunners would want him. While an energetic midfielder who is capable of making late runs into the box and scoring goals, his technical and physical attributes may not be at the required level to excel in the Premier League.
| Malik Tillman’s Statistics 2025/26 | |
| Appearances | 27 |
| Goals | 6 |
| Assists | 0 |
| Shots per 90 | 1.68 |
| Expected Goals per 90 (non-penalty) | 0.18 |
| Expected Assists per 90 | 0.14 |
| Pass Accuracy | 84.7% |
| Tackles per 90 | 1.9 |
| Interceptions per 90 | 0.88 |
As shown by the data above, Tillman’s underlying numbers don’t suggest that he’s likely to be productive in the final third moving forward, and these numbers would likely only decline further in the Premier League. While relatively secure in possession, he offers relatively minimal defensive output and isn’t exceptional at covering ground.
Perhaps the central midfielder would make an effective squad player at Arsenal in a couple of years, but for now, the jury is out.
