The midfield revival of recent weeks has been led by a change of thought from Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta.

Martin Zubimendi has played a truckload of football this term, and as we've approached the business end of the season, he has looked rather tired.

So, after a run of poor form in which Arsenal surrendered the two domestic cups, Myles Lewis-Skelly has come in from the wilderness and thrived. He's been exceptional from the middle of the park and is making a late dart for England's World Cup squad.

Yet, there is a realisation that the Gunners need more depth in central areas. In defence and in attack, they are well stocked but the midfield positions do feel particularly bare in comparison.

Luckily, plans are being made to bolster things.

Arsenal could sign big-money midfielder this summer

Reports in recent days have placed Arsenal in the race to sign West Ham United's Mateus Fernandes. That said, with an £80m price tag and interest from Manchester United, who he allegedly wants to join, this will not be an easy race to win.

Sporting's Morten Hjulmand is another player on Arteta's radar and they are reportedly informed about his situation in the Portuguese capital. He will no doubt receive a favourable review from Viktor Gyokeres too.

That said, the most exciting link is arguably to Sandro Tonali. On transfer deadline day back in the winter, it was alleged that Arsenal had made a move for the Italian but nothing materialised.

Instead, they look set to ramp up their interest in the forthcoming months. Indeed, according to Football Insider this weekend, the north Londoners are still monitoring his situation at Newcastle United.

His future at St James' Park is growing increasingly uncertain, particularly in light of the Toon failing to qualify for Europe.

Despite that, Eddie Howe and Co are set to demand a colossal fee to let him go. Football Insider note that it is likely to take a bid of £80m to extract him from the north east of England.

Why Sandro Tonali could thrive alongside Declan Rice

Back in 2023, Arsenal moved heaven and earth to secure the signing of Declan Rice for £105m from West Ham United. He may well have won the Conference League with the Irons but his time at the London Stadium had run its course. It was time for him to move on to bigger and better things.

Well, Tonali's situation feels very similar. Newcastle may not have won a European trophy but you sense that, like Rice, Tonali has now achieved all he can with Newcastle; he has taken them as far as he can and now is the time to move to one of the Premier League's top clubs.

So, as they did with the former West Ham captain, Arsenal must take advantage of that situation and repeat their Rice move by bringing in one of the best midfielders in the division from a club in the bottom half of the league.

Would Tonali be worth £80m? Perhaps not, but he does have an outstanding set of qualities. He may not be as aggressive as Rice but that's why the pairing could forge a brilliant partnership in the middle of the park.

One thing Zubimendi has struggled with this season is ball progression and as the season has gone on, his performances have only waned. At the beginning of the campaign, after he scored twice against Nottingham Forest he looked like a phenomenal acquisition. He has still played an important part in 2026 but the elevation of Arsenal's performances with Lewis-Skelly in the team instead speakes volumes.

Tonali is closer to Zubimendi in style than Lewis-Skelly. He's a shuttler, someone who will patrol expertly in front of the backline. Not being similar to Arsenal's teenage midfielder, however, is no bad thing, largely because he'd still represent an upgrade on the underperforming Zubimendi.

Based on that data, it's evident to see why Rice would love playing alongside the Italian maestro. While he may not be as crisp when it comes to his passing, he thrives in the areas where Zubimendi has been criticised during his debut campaign in England.

Indeed, Tonali makes far more ball recoveries and, importantly, is more progressive with the ball, making 0.7 successful take-ons in 2025/26.

He may not rampage forward quite like Rice does but they are both forward-thinking players. They want to get on the ball and take it up the pitch rather than passing sideways and backwards.

So, three years on from when the England international arrived, Arsenal must repeat their trick of raiding the Premier League for one of its top midfielders. In the words of Toon reporter Joel Bland, the Italy international is "one of the best midfielders in Europe". As a result, he'd be a huge asset to Arteta's team.