Arsenal have joined Barcelona in the race to sign Manchester City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan this summer, according to Spanish publication Sport (page 10).
The north London giants are planning to reinforce their midfield department ahead of next season and manager Mikel Arteta is reportedly looking to sign two ‘technical midfielders’.
The club have already been linked with Declan Rice and Moises Caicedo, but a new report from Sport suggests that the club are prepared to swoop for the services of Gundogan.
Gundogan’s current contract with City expires on June 30, and he has reportedly turned down a one-year extension.
Barcelona have entered talks to sign the 32-year-old on a free transfer, but Sport claim that Arsenal are also in the race and are prepared to hand him a long-term contract.
Gundogan would be a shrewd signing for Arsenal
Arsenal are likely to invest heavily in their squad this summer. Rice appears to be the top target for the manager and he could cost a potential club-record fee from West Ham United in the next transfer window.
Buying Rice and Caicedo could be difficult for the club, particularly with the need to bolster other key positions. The club may need to bring in a couple of full-backs while another forward could be pursued.
Gundogan would be a shrewd signing for the club. The German will be 33 in the first half of next season, but he has shown no signs of slowing down and could be a key player for a few years.
The midfielder has been in fantastic form for the Cityzens from the creative midfield position over the past few weeks. He could come in as a potential replacement for Granit Xhaka and won’t cost any transfer fee.
His wages are also not on the higher side at £140,000-a-week. While Barcelona want him to accept a pay cut to join them, Arsenal could sign him on similar wages to extend his Premier League career.
It remains to be seen whether their proposal will be successful. Gundogan seems certain to leave City and the prospect of prolonging his stay in the English top-flight could be hard to turn down.
