Arsenal considering another double transfer raid on title rivals Manchester City
According to reports, Arsenal and Barcelona are among the clubs interested in signing Ilkay Gundogan, the midfielder for Manchester City, as he approaches the end of his contract at the Etihad Stadium.
Despite Gundogan’s impressive performances for Man City this season, his future remains uncertain. There is speculation that Arsenal, known for targeting players from their title rivals, could make a move for him.
Last summer, Arsenal successfully signed Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko from Manchester City, which could explain why Sport Bild suggests that Mikel Arteta might be considering a similar approach for Gundogan.
In a transfer repeat, a recent report from 90min suggests that Arsenal has also become a potential contender to sign Joao Cancelo, the Manchester City defender who has fallen out of favor.
Cancelo, a Portuguese full-back, was loaned out to Bayern Munich in January and seems poised to depart from City in the upcoming summer transfer window due to his dissatisfaction with limited opportunities to play.
Joao Cancelo was previously a regular starter under Pep Guardiola at Manchester City. However, the rise of Rico Lewis and the impressive performances of Nathan Ake at left-back created strong competition that Cancelo appeared reluctant to embrace.
This lack of enthusiasm was evident when Manchester City supporters booed him upon his return to the Etihad Stadium with Bayern Munich during the Champions League quarter-final in April, suggesting that his departure from the club is likely to occur this summer.
While Bayern Munich have the option to sign Cancelo permanently, they consider the €70 million release clause to be too expensive. Barcelona and Thomas Tuchel’s team (presumably Chelsea) have also shown interest in securing Cancelo’s services on a permanent basis.
According to reports, Mikel Arteta, the manager of Arsenal and former assistant to Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, has a strong belief that both Joao Cancelo and Ilkay Gundogan would seamlessly integrate into his tactical system. Arteta previously worked with Cancelo and Gundogan during his time at City and sees them as players who would adapt well to his preferred style of play, similar to the successful integration of Oleksandr Zinchenko and Gabriel Jesus at Arsenal.
Although Ilkay Gundogan is currently performing exceptionally well and could bring significant contributions to Arsenal, it is important to consider the need for the recruitment of younger midfield players. Arsenal’s midfield already consists of players like Thomas Partey and Jorginho, who have passed their peak years. Therefore, it would be beneficial for the club to prioritize the acquisition of younger midfield talents to ensure a more sustainable and long-term strategy in that area of the team.
Arsenal considering another double transfer raid on title rivals Manchester City