Arsenal have been linked with one of the Premier League’s top performers ahead of the transfer window, as Mikel Arteta sets his sights on bolstering his squad this summer.
The Spaniard enjoyed a strong title charge with his side this season and despite falling short of Manchester City on the final straight, can take many positives from the campaign.
The Gunners will play Champions League football again for the first time since 2016, and with an additional competition comes added need for squad depth, something that tainted Arsenal’s title charge this term.
As reported ahead of the summer, the Emirates may become home for a player that could significantly improve the side.
What’s the latest on Ilkay Gundogan to Arsenal?
As first reported by The Athletic at the end of last month, Manchester City ace Ilkay Gundogan is on Arsenal’s radar.
The 32-year-old will be a free agent at the end of the campaign should he fail to strike a new deal with the Citizens, which has become an appealing prospect for the Gunners.
Most recently, the Evening Standard claimed that Arteta’s relationship with the German could provide vital in the north Londoners’ pursuit of the midfielder, a player whom he worked with in Manchester.
What could Ilkay Gundogan offer to Arsenal?
As the season progresses, the experience and quality of the midfielder becomes more and more evident, as seen last weekend when he single-handedly fired City to complete the double, scoring two outside-the-box volleys at Wembley in the FA Cup final.
The Gelsenkirchen-born ace could provide so much to Arteta’s budding Arsenal side, and would most prominently provide as a perfect partner for Martin Odegaard.
The Spaniard could replicate the success of the 32-year-old in Guardiola’s midfield, just as he has done with Oleksandr Zinchenko’s role in the defence since making the switch from the Etihad to the Emirates.
Alongside Kevin De Bruyne, Gundogan has one of the best creators in the Premier League, with the Belgian acting as the pacemaker for creative midfielders to follow year after year.
The German could replicate the success in his play with Odegaard, who himself has been lauded as a “playmaking genius” by scout Antonio Mango.
The £140k-per-week City gem averages 63 attempted passes per 90, as well as maintaining a completion rate of 87.7% as per FBref, showing he could be a second creator in Arsenal’s midfield, giving Odegaard more to work with in the number 10 role.
De Bruyne reaps the positive vibrations from the 32-year-old, with the duo described by the Daily Mail’s Jack Gaughan as being ‘masters of slowing games down when City lead’, something that could be integral to Odegaard.
Sometimes it’s hard to comprehend that the Arsenal skipper is just 24 years old, however, the Gunners have suffered recently in holding their leads, as shown in drawing consecutive games in the run in this season with Southampton, West Ham and Liverpool.
The “exceptional” gem, as lauded by his manager, could not only support the Norwiegan’s progression in an offensive light but also defensively and through experience, in his ability to conduct the tempo of a game.
There are many ways that a player of the calibre of Gundogan could influence Arteta’s budding Arsenal squad, though his influence on Odegaard could unlock another level to the Gunners’ ace.