Ilkay Gundogan of Manchester City is reportedly being pursued by both Arsenal and Barcelona as he approaches the conclusion of his contract at the Etihad Stadium.
The German international has once again performed admirably for Man City. Still, it’s unclear what his future holds, given that Arsenal may be planning another assault on their championship rivals.
It’s certainly not too unexpected to hear Mikel Arteta reportedly considering trying a similar move with Gundogan after the Gunners successfully signed Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko from City last summer.
As Fabrizio Romano wrote yesterday, Granit Xhaka appears to be leaving Arsenal this summer, and Gundogan could be the perfect midfield replacement.
Also Read: Granit Xhaka set for summer Arsenal exit with Bayer Leverkusen keen on signing him
Gundogan will turn 33 later this year; therefore, Arsenal must focus on younger players on that part of the pitch.
While there is no denying that Gundogan is in excellent form right now and has the potential to have a significant influence at Arsenal, there is unquestionably a need to add some relatively younger players to the midfield, where guys like Thomas Partey and Jorginho are already well past their prime.
Declan Rice and Moises Caicedo, who are 24 and 21, respectively, have been connected to Arsenal by The Times, and it looks more like the type of profile Arteta wants for the upcoming season.
Of course, both deals could be costly, as noted by the Times, so it might make sense to at least consider acquiring Gundogan on a free transfer as well.