Arsenal & Man Utd Handed Major Boost In Pursuit Of €30m Midfielder

As the opening of the summer transfer window approaches, managers are working hard identifying targets and lining-up potential deals so we’ll bring you all the news and gossip. Today, Borussia Dortmund have confirmed that Ilkay Gundogan won’t be signing a new deal…

Arsenal and Manchester United have been handed a major boost after Borussia Dortmund announced this afternoon that Ilkay Gundogan will not be signing a new contract at the club.

Gundogan’s current deal is due to expire in just over a year and there has been much speculation in the media over whether he’ll agree terms over an extension.

The uncertainty led to talk of a move to the Premier League with both Arsenal and Manchester United strongly linked with the midfielder in recent months.

Sky Sports claim that United are close to agreeing a €30m (£21.5m) deal with Dortmund while German outlet Bild suggest that Arsenal are still in the running after supposedly opening talks with the former Bundesliga champions.

The English giants have now been handed a major boost as Dortmund have taken to Twitter this afternoon to confirm that Gundogan will not be signing a new contract. The tweets below roughly translate to say:

Borussia Dortmund midfielder and @Guendogan8 will not cooperate on the June 30, 2016 addition.

@Guendogan8 has decided not to renew his contract valid until that date.

Borussia Dortmund und Mittelfeldspieler @Guendogan8 werden nicht über den 30. Juni 2016 hinaus zusammenarbeiten. pic.twitter.com/ONvIdZesCf

— Borussia Dortmund (@BVB) April 30, 2015

.@Guendogan8 hat sich entschieden, seinen bis zu diesem Zeitpunkt gültigen Vertrag nicht zu verlängern. #lasttweet

— Borussia Dortmund (@BVB) April 30, 2015

It means that Dortmund are now left in the difficult situation of either forcing the midfielder to see out the final year of his deal and letting him leave for free in 2016, or cashing in this summer when they can still command a sizeable transfer fee.

The papers seen to suggest they will sell as they don’t want to see another key player leave for nothing following Robert Lewandowski’s exit last summer, so it appears a bidding war will now commence.

The 24-year-old moved to Dortmund in 2011 and his outstanding performances in central midfield helped the club win a league and cup double as well as reach the Champions League final in 2012/13.

However, his progress was hampered by a serious back injury that saw him miss over a year and force him out of Germany’s World Cup triumph in Brazil last summer.

Gundogan is now back to full fitness and it seems he could be heading to the Premier League this summer with Arsenal and Manchester United ready to battle it out over his signature.

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

Louis van Gaal is in the market for a long-term replacement for Michael Carrick while Arsene Wenger is also looking to sign a midfielder with the future’s of Mikel Arteta, Mathieu Flamini and Abou Diaby in serious doubt.

Gundogan would be an excellent addition for either club and although Sky Sports suggest that United are the favourites, I’m sure the Gunners won’t give up without a fight, so we’ll have to wait and see where the player ends up this summer.