Arsenal are in the race to sign Manchester City captain Ilkay Gundogan ahead of the summer transfer window, with his contract set to expire in the coming weeks. The Gunners are looking to revamp their midfield ranks in the coming weeks in an attempt to close the gap between themselves and City in the title picture.
football.london understands Declan Rice is a top priority for the north London outfit in the coming weeks, though his future is unlikely to be decided until after West Ham's Europa Conference League final against Fiorentina later this week. Moises Caicedo and Mason Mount are other names linked alongside a switch for Gundogan.
The Germany international's agent, Ilhan Gundogan, spoke out on his current situation and gave some hope to the Gunners that a deal can be struck. He told Fabrizio Romano: "Nothing has been agreed with City or any other club. The recent reports are not true. Ilkay is only focused on the final."
READ MORE: Arsenal face £30m stumbling block in Declan Rice transfer amid Man Utd and Bayern Munich links
Pep Guardiola has already publicly discussed his desire to keep Gundogan at the club, who played a huge part in securing the double for City this season. Barcelona are also in the mix, but according to the Evening Standard, Mikel Arteta is hopeful of using his relationship with the 32-year-old to tempt him to the Emirates Stadium.
The Gunners have been handed a timeline on when they will learn the fate of the midfielder, with the report adding that a decision will be made shortly after the Champions League final. That is being played out on Saturday, June 10 against Inter Milan, where a historic treble is on the line.
It remains to be seen whether the result will impact his decision, but any move could help Arsenal move closer to competing with their rivals.
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