At a Glance:
- Arsenal have signed several players from Chelsea over the years.
- The Gunners are now said to be monitoring one of the Blues’ prized possessions.
- Newcastle and Crystal Palace are also interested.
Arsenal could be set to embark on their annual pursuit of a Chelsea player, with reports indicating that Mikel Arteta and Andrea Berta are monitoring one of the Blues’ prized possessions.
The Gunners have regularly shopped at Stamford Bridge in recent years, taking advantage of players’ desire to remain in the English capital by picking up those surplus to requirements in West London. Last summer, the North London club swooped for Noni Madueke and Kepa Arrizabalaga, acquiring two useful squad depth pieces at minimal cost from their rivals.
It’s become a running joke that Arsenal must sign a player from Chelsea every year, and fans have already started speculating who Arteta might look to bring to London Colney from Cobham this term. The answer might just have been revealed.
Arsenal ‘monitoring the situation’ of Josh Acheampong
Alongside signing a player from Chelsea every summer, Arsenal annually add at least one new defender to their squad. With reports linking Ben White with a move away rife, a right-sided defender is understood to be on the agenda for Berta.
According to BBC Sport, Arsenal are monitoring Chelsea’s Josh Acheampong. The Cobham Academy graduate made 30 appearances across all competitions this season, in what was essentially his breakout campaign.
A first Chelsea goal for Josh! 😍#CFC | #NFOCHE pic.twitter.com/tH3BysADbp
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) October 18, 2025
He impressed in these games, sparking widespread interest from a number of clubs. The BBC report that Chelsea have already rejected multiple approaches from several potential suitors, while the report also states that Newcastle and Crystal Palace are known to be interested alongside Arsenal.
It’s said to be unclear whether Acheampong is seeking a departure from Stamford Bridge, with his current contract set to expire in 2029.
However, it has been well documented that Chelsea need to sell key players this summer to comply with financial regulations after missing out on European qualification. They haven’t been adverse to selling coveted academy stars in the past, and sanctioning Acheampong’s sale would make sense as the fee they’d collect would register as pure profit.
That said, the BBC suggest that the 20-year-old has been given ‘untouchable status’ in terms of his future.
Would Josh Acheampong be the right signing for Arsenal?
While Acheampong might be considered ‘untouchable’ at this stage of the summer, Chelsea are known to move recklessly and chaotically in the transfer market under their current ownership, and as things get more desperate, they may be willing to sell anyone.
The youngster certainly ticks plenty of boxes. It’s likely he’d replace White in Arsenal’s squad, and thus, substituting him in for the Englishman would help the Gunners with their homegrown quota.
Aside from his nationality, Acheampong fits the bill as he can operate as a right-back or a right-centre-back, is athletic, comfortable in possession and an excellent defender. He’s also the right age profile and can develop into something special over the coming years.
Fitting right in.
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) September 14, 2025
Another brilliant performance from Cristhian Mosquera 👏 pic.twitter.com/lERJHIprSn
On the flip side, he’s very much a centre-back playing at full-back when forced to play out wide, similar to Cristhian Mosquera. Having him and the Spaniard in the same squad might create some redundancy.
Instead, Arsenal probably ought to be looking for a more natural right-back, who can replace some of the offensive qualities White brought to Arteta’s team. Tino Livramento has been linked, and he’d certainly fit more closely stylistically.
