Mikel Arteta, the Arsenal manager, is interested in signing Manchester City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan this summer.
Last season, Arsenal signed Oleksandr Zinchenko and Gabriel Jesus from Manchester City for a combined fee of £77 million, with both going on to help Arsenal push their former club to the brink of the Premier League title.
According to The Athletic, Arsenal is interested in Gundogan and could make another move for him. Arteta is also said to be the driving force behind it, having worked with the 32-year-old at Manchester City.
A double swoop is also possible, with Arsenal showing interest in Joao Cancelo, whose skills as an inverted full-back make him a perfect Arteta replacement.
Given the Gunners’ large midfield shortlist and Granit Xhaka’s expected summer departure, two additions to the engine room appear likely. According to football.london, the Arsenal star is in advanced talks to join Bayer Leverkusen for a fee of £13 million.
Gundogan’s contract at Etihad Stadium expires in less than a month, but according to The Mirror, Man City are now ready to offer him a new two-year deal. Barcelona has long been interested in signing the former Borussia Dortmund man on a free transfer, and Gundogan appears to be open to the idea..
According to Sport, Gundogan wants to move to Barcelona and ‘intends’ to live in Spain rather than continue playing in the Premier League.
Arsenal was linked to Gundogan in 2015, when Arsene Wenger was in charge. Gundogan was at Dortmund at the time, and the legendary Gunners manager responded directly to apparent interest in the midfielder, with a response similar to what Arteta would likely use when discussing unconfirmed transfers.
He’s not a defender,” he told Arsenal.com in January 2015. “Right now, we’re looking for a defensive department.”
Gundogan eventually joined City in the Premier League the following year, where he has since won 12 trophies and been named club captain following the departure of Fernandinho.
Leave a Reply