Arsenal ‘interested’ in stunning third Man City raid for midfielder ready to end Etihad contract talks
Arsenal have emerged as contenders for the signature of a Manchester City midfielder who now appears destined to change clubs in the summer, per the latest reports.
Currently above the defending champions in the Premier League table, Arsenal have benefitted from a few pieces of recruitment from Man City in recent years. First and foremost, the appointment of Mikel Arteta as their new manager in 2019 has proven to be a successful decision.
Then, last summer, Arsenal signed two players from City. For one, Gabriel Jesus is battling to become their main man up front. In addition, Oleksandr Zinchenko has since been a regular starter for them at left-back.
Now, it has emerged that Arsenal could sign a third player from City at the end of the current season. According to Diario Sport, Arteta’s side are “interested” in Ilkay Gundogan.
As things stand, Gundogan is due to become a free agent at the end of the season, when his contract with City expires. Given his current situation, he has become of interest to many clubs.
Barcelona are among the main admirers of the 32-year-old, which is the main focus of Sport‘s report. However, there is an admission that it might be hard for the La Liga giants to meet Gundogan’s wage demands.
That said, Sport claims that Gundogan is “close to breaking off” negotiations with City over a contract extension, for similar financial reasons.
Thus, he will have to keep his options open as to where he will be playing from next season. And it has come to Sport‘s attention that there is interest in Gundogan from Arsenal.
Gundogan could be next Arsenal midfield recruit
Work has been underway on the evolution of Arsenal’s midfield recently. For example, towards the end of the January transfer window, they took Jorginho from London rivals Chelsea.
In the summer, Arsenal might want to invest in their midfield again. At this rate, they would be entering the new season with a defensive midfield department consisting solely of players aged 30 or over.
Granted, Gundogan falls into that category too. But as a winner of multiple Premier League titles, he might be able to help Arsenal carry their resurgent form over into next season and beyond.
For now, the report claims that Gundogan would “prioritise” Barcelona if they were to firm up their own interest. However, Arsenal may well be ones to watch in the race for his signature.
This season, Gundogan has played 37 times in all competitions for City, scoring four goals. Since joining the club in 2016, he has amassed 290 appearances and 53 goals.
Without a doubt, Gundogan has been one of the cornerstones of the Pep Guardiola era at the Etihad Stadium. But perhaps he will be due for a change of scenery in the summer.
But if his City career is about to end, will the same be true for his time in the Premier League – or not?
