Arsenal Set to Move For Another German Star! by AT
According to a report from The Telegraph, Arsenal are ready to challenge Manchester United for the signature of the Borrusia Dortmund midfielder Ilkay Gundogan, who has recently announced that he will be leaving this summer after having rejected a contract extension from the former Bundesliga champions. It is understood that the player was scouted by Arsenal in January and the Gunners boss Arsene Wenger has seen enough to make a move once the transfer window opens at the end of the season.
The report also claims that Arsenal will allow Mathieu Flamini to leave the club and warn club captain Mikel Arteta that he will no longer be guaranteed first-team football and he will take on the role of an experienced squad player. With the squad consisting of central midfield players like Jack Wilshere, Aaron Ramsey and Francis Coquelin, it seems as though the club are looking to build the team around a core of dynamic midfielders, and Ilkay Gundogan perfectly fits the bill!
In my opinion, the news has a great amount of credibility in it. Considering the fact that Flamini will most definitely be shown the door in the summer, Wenger will be looking for a midfielder to bring into the squad and given that Gundogan has confirmed that he will be leaving Dortmund at the end of the season, there is a strong likelihood of genuine interest from the Arsenal manager. While I was hoping to see Arteta leave as well, I guess squad depth in a vital area of the pitch is necessary.
With Arsenal also being heavily linked to players like Morgan Schneiderlin and Geoffrey Kondogbia, I believe that it is a certainty that Arsenal will sign a defensive midfielder in the summer, despite the meteoric rise of Francis Coquelin. The squad needs at least two top-quality players in this position and the Frenchman needs to be given competition. While I will be happy if Arsenal sign any of the aforementioned players, I’d have to say that my pick would be Ilkay Gundogan considering his dynamic style of play and the German contingent that Arsenal are starting to build.
Anurag