Arsenal set to rival Barcelona in the race to sign Ilkay Gundogan this year

Ilkay Gundogan, a midfielder for Manchester City, has drawn interest from both Arsenal and Barcelona this summer

The north London juggernauts want to add two “technical midfielders” to their roster ahead of the upcoming campaign, according to boss Mikel Arteta.

Declan Rice and Moises Caicedo have already been associated with the club, but a recent rumour from Sport indicates that they are poised to pounce on Gundogan. On June 30, Gundogan’s current deal with City expires, and he reportedly declined a one-year extension. Barcelona has started negotiations to sign the 32-year-old free agent, but Sport claims that Arsenal is also interested in signing him and is willing to offer him a long-term contract.

This summer, Arsenal is poised to make significant investments in their team. Rice appears to be the manager’s main target, and West Ham United could demand a potential club record transfer fee for him in the upcoming transfer window. The club may find it challenging to acquire Rice and Caicedo, especially given the necessity to strengthen other crucial positions. The team might need to sign a few full-backs, and another forward might be sought after.

Gundogan would be a wise addition to the team. In the first half of the following season, the German will be 33 years old, but he hasn’t shown any symptoms of slowing down and could be a crucial player for a few years. Over the past few weeks, the midfielder has been in outstanding form playing creative midfield for the Cityzens. He might be brought in as a possible Granit Xhaka replacement and won’t require a transfer fee.

His weekly salary of £140,000 is likewise not particularly significant. Arsenal might sign him for a comparable salary to continue his Premier League career while Barcelona wants him to accept a pay drop to join them. It is still to be seen if their suggestion will be adopted. Gundogan is destined to depart City, but the opportunity to extend his time in the English Premier League might be too good to pass up.

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