Arsenal chances of signing Man City star detailed as Guardiola has replacement lined up already

Tim Sherwood has stated he “can’t see” Ilkay Gundogan moving within the Premier League, amid interest in the midfielder from Arsenal.

Gundogan has been with City for seven years now. His lengthy spell at the club has seen him break the 300-appearance mark – doing so at the end of the Premier League campaign.

The midfielder is second to Kevin De Bruyne on the list of City’s longest-serving players.

Gundogan has spent a very successful period of his career at the Etihad. Indeed, he’s directly contributed to 98 goals in his seven seasons there.

In terms of team success, there’s not much he hasn’t won. The midfielder has five Premier League medals, four for the League Cup and one for the FA Cup, which he could add to this season.

The only honour that has eluded both Gundogan and City is the Champions League. However, they have a chance to add that to their collection soon, in what could secure them a treble.

There would be nothing left to win at that point, and the midfielder might have identified that it’s time to go because of that. Barcelona reportedly reached a ‘verbal agreement’ with him in May, with Gundogan able to leave at the end of the season if City can’t convince him to sign a new deal.

Arsenal are also in the hunt for his signature. Indeed, it would be an ambitious move for the Gunners to snare a star from their title rivals, but reports have suggested they’re ‘optimistic’ they can do so.

Sherwood feels Arsenal move is unlikely

However, former Tottenham boss Sherwood has tempered Arsenal expectation, as he feels a move within the Premier League is unlikely, despite how well Gundogan would work under Mikel Arteta.

“Where’s he going to go? I can’t see him playing for another Premier League side,” he said on the No Tippy Tappy podcast.

“I know Mikel Arteta wants to take him, he knows the player inside-out, he’ll fit into anyone’s team.”

Sherwood feels City will manage just fine if Gundogan is to leave this summer.

“Man City will be all right without him, they’re not worried about Gundogan,” he added.

One of the reasons they might not be worried is that they already have an ideal replacement lined up. City have been linked with Chelsea’s Mateo Kovacic of late, and it’s now been reported by multiple sources they’ve been granted permission to speak to him.

Transfer insider Fabrizio Romano has since revealed personal terms are ‘really close’ to being agreed.

Gundogan told to jump at La Liga chance

Sherwood feels Gundogan should jump at the chance to join a La Liga giant if he’s offered it.

“I think if Barcelona come [in] or Real Madrid I think he’s got to jump and take that opportunity as he’s done it all here,” he said.

Indeed, if reports of a Barca agreement are genuine, it seems Gundogan might have already made that choice himself.

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