Man Utd ‘Confident’ They’ve Beaten Arsenal To £25m Midfielder

The January transfer window may have slammed shut but clubs will still be working hard behind the scenes at identifying targets for the summer, so we’ll bring you all the latest news, gossip and rumours. Today, Man Utd are confident they can sign Ilkay Gundogan.

Manchester United are confident they have beaten off stiff competition from the likes of Arsenal and Real Madrid to secure a £25m deal to sign Borussia Dortmund midfielder Ilkay Gundogan this summer, according the Daily Star.

The 23-year-old is out of contract in less than 18 months time and speculation has linked with with a move away from the Westfalenstadion in recent months as talks over an extension continue to drag.

While reports in Germany claim Dortmund have made the player their final contract offer, the Daily Star believes the former Bundesliga champions will sell this summer if a club meets their £25m valuation.

Manchester United have been strongly linked with the midfielder while Arsenal and Real Madrid are also understood to hold a serious interest should the player decide he wants to try his luck outside of Germany.

However, the Star claim that David Moyes feels Gundogan is the most likely of his midfield targets to make the move to Old Trafford this summer and United chiefs are believed to be ‘confident’ they have already won the race for his signature.

The German international has seen his season hampered by a serious back injury that’s restricted him to just 3 appearances all season, and the newspaper suggests that any potential move would be dependent on him proving he has fully recovered from the problem.

Gundogan was a key player for the Dortmund side that won the Bundesliga title in 2012 and reached the Champions League final the following year, so it’s been hugely frustrating to see him miss practically the entire campaign through injury.

If he can come back and prove his fitness during the final months of the season, it looks like a move this summer is on the cards if he refuses to sign an extension with Dortmund and he’d make for an excellent addition at either Man Utd or Arsenal.

The defending champions need for a midfielder is obvious with Michael Carrick now 33, Tom Cleverley failing to live up to his early promise and Marouane Fellaini struggling for both form and fitness since his move from Everton, and Gundogan would be a major coup.

Although Arsenal’s need for a central midfielder is a little less clear, Arsene Wenger could view Gundogan as a potential long-term replacement for Mikel Arteta, who turns 32 in March, but it seems that United feel they are favourites if this reports is to be believed.

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

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