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Arsenal interested in signing Ilkay Gundogan


Arsenal are interested in signing Manchester City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan, reputed journalist Fabrizio Romano reports.

The Germany international has been with the Cityzens since the summer of 2016, but he now appears keen on pursuing a fresh challenge away from the club.

Barcelona have been long linked with him, but Romano claims that Arsenal are also in the race. The Gunners pursuit will depend on Champions League football.

Our view:

Gundogan had an injury-plagued start to his City career, but over the past few years, he has firmly established himself as a key player in the centre of the park.

The German enjoyed his best-ever season in terms of goal contributions last term. He bagged 17 goals and five assists from 46 appearances in all competitions.

The 31-year-old has carried over the form this campaign with eight goals and six assists from 42 outings and has been a regular with the captain’s armband.

Arsenal currently have Granit Xhaka and Thomas Partey as the first-choice midfield pairing, but both have missed several games this term with lengthy injuries.

In the absence of either, the Gunners have suffered a dip in league form and manager Mikel Arteta needs to address the issue with a quality midfield signing.

Gundogan would be a superb acquisition with his leadership skills. The German is not a tough tackler, but is excellent in controlling play with over 91 per cent passes completed this term.

The £31.5 million-rated star would seamlessly fit into Arteta’s plans with a similar style of play, but a deal appears unlikely without Champions League football.

Arsenal have probably missed out on the top four after recent dismal defeats at Tottenham and Newcastle. Spurs just need a point on the final matchday to finish fourth.

Having been in pole position to qualify for the Champions League over the past few weeks, missing out could have an underlying effect on the summer transfer business.

Leicester City’s Youri Tielemans has been linked for several months, and the Gunners could also miss out on his services due to the lack of Champions League football.

Stats from Transfermarkt.com and WhoScored.com

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