Midfielder Stalls On Contract Talks As Arsenal & Man Utd Line-Up €22m Bids

The January transfer window is now closed but that won’t stop the newspapers from speculating ahead of the summer so we’ll bring you all the news and gossip. Today, Arsenal and Man Utd are linked with Ilkay Gundogan….

Ilkay Gundogan has put contract talks with Borussia Dortmund on hold amid speculation that Arsenal and Manchester United are lining-up bids for the midfielder, according to reports.

Gundogan’s future at the Westfalonstadion has been in doubt over recent months as he’s got less than 18 months left to run on his current contract and he’s already turned down Dortmund’s last two contract extension offers.

Reports last month suggested the 24-year-old was finally ready to commit his future to Dortmund after opening negotiations with the former Bundesliga champions for a third time.

However, the Express are quoting German publication Bild as saying that Gundogan has now once again put talks over a new deal on hold amid speculation that Arsenal and Manchester United are interested in offering him a fresh start in England.

The newspaper claims that the duo have been keeping a close eye on his situation in recent months and are preparing €22m (£16m) bids for the midfielder this summer if he hasn’t signed a new deal by that point.

Dortmund are desperate to tie him down to fresh terms but if the stand-off continues until the end of the season then they may be forced to cut their losses and cash-in as they’ll want to avoid a situation similar to that of Robert Lewandowski – which saw him walk away from the club for nothing when his contract expired.

Gundogan was developing into one of the best defensive midfielders in Europe until a serious back injury derailed his career and he’s only just getting back up to speed after over a year on the sidelines.

Therefore, if either Arsenal or United do make a move for him this summer then they’ll need to put him through a strict medical examination to ensure he’s completely recovered from his back problem.

Arsene Wenger is expected to be in the market for a holding midfielder this summer to act as a long-term replacement for Mikel Arteta, while Louis van Gaal has already admitted he’ll bring in another midfielder, and Gundogan would be an excellent addition for either club.

READ MORE –> Arsenal transfer news | Man Utd transfer new

However, we’ll have to wait and see whether contract extension talks with Dortmund progress over the coming weeks but the longer they stall, the more chance there is that we could see him heading to the Premier League this summer.