The end of the winter transfer window is fast approaching and teams will frantically try to strengthen their squad before the market closes to have a strong end to the season. While Arsenal do not need to panic as the season has started off very well, there is still work that can be done to improve the squad.
Two positions seem to be the main targets for the Gunners, as Edu has reportedly been chasing players in the midfield and wing areas. However, it seems as though Arsenal will wait until the summer to strengthen in the middle of the park.
The Gunners have been linked to Premier League midfielders such as Declan Rice and Youri Tielemans. This was also backed up by Ilkay Gundogan, but if Edu targets the German international he will have to battle with Barcelona.
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Gundogan fired in 13 Premier League goals as they stormed to the Premier League title during the 2020/2021 season. Kevin De Bruyne missed large parts of the season through injury, so the German stepped up and captained the side throughout the majority of the campaign.
This carried over into the 2021/22 season, where it was his brace on the final Premier League day of the season which secured the Premier League title for City. He showed the leadership and experience that Arsenal so desperately lack whenever one of Granit Xhaka or Thomas Partey are missing from the midfield.
The pair worked together when Arteta was a part of Guardiola’s coaching stuff for three years. This could benefit Arsenal in a future deal, as it did with the Gunners’ capture of Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko in the summer. However, Arsenal will have to beat Barcelona if they want to secure his signature.
According to the Telegraph, Barcelona are seriously interested in signing Gundogan in the summer. His contract at Man City runs out in June.
The Gunners have been linked to the midfielder before as Arsene Wenger reportedly tried to sign him in 2015 - a year before he joined Manchester City - but a deal never managed to materialise. It is now time for Arteta to attempt the same but succeed in his pursuit of the German at the disappointment of Barcelona.
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