Arsenal Hope To Beat Man Utd To Midfielder As Agent Holds Talks Over €20m Move

With the January transfer now open for business, managers are working hard to strengthen their squads ahead of the second half of the season, so we’ll bring you all the latest news and gossip. Today, Arsenal are linked with a move for Man Utd target Ilkay Gundogan….

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is hoping to fend off interest from Manchester United and land long-term target Ilkay Gundogan from Borussia Dortmund, according to reports.

Gundogan missed almost the whole of last season due to a serious back injury and was forced to watch on from the stands as his German international team-mates lifted the World Cup in Brazil this summer.

The 24-year-old is now back to full fitness but his return to action hasn’t been enough to prevent Dortmund’s worrying domestic form, with Jurgan Klopps men sitting in the bottom three of the Bundealiga table at the half-way point of the season.

The German international’s future has now come under scrutiny as reports suggest that despite Dortmund’s attempts to negotiate an extension, the midfielder has supposedly made it clear he has no intention of signing a new deal as he wants to try his luck in the Premier League.

Gundogan has just 18 months left on his current contract and it’s understood that Dortmund chiefs have told the player that unless he commits his future to the club, they will be forced to sell him in the summer as they want to avoid a repeat of the situation that saw them lose Robert Lewandowski on a free transfer.

The uncertainty has alerted a whole host of clubs with reports earlier this week claiming that Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal was interested in luring Gundogan to Old Trafford.

However, it looks like United will now face stiff competition as the Mirror are reporting that Arsene Wenger is ready to renew his interest in the combative midfielder having come close to landing the player twice in recent years.

The newspaper claims that Gundogan’s agents have already held preliminary talks with interested parties over a potential €20m (£16m) deal and made it known that he could be on the move as early as January.

Gundogan was one of the best defensive midfield players in Europe before he picked up his back injury so if he could regain his old form then he’d be an excellent addition for either Arsenal or United.

The Gunners are in desperate need of an athletic, mobile midfielder to replace Mikel Arteta and Gundogan could be the ideal solution as long as he’s over his injury woes. The last thing Arsene Wenger needs is another midfielder who spends more time in the treatment room than on the pitch.

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

However, United are expected to continue their rebuilding under van Gaal with a long-term replacement for Michael Carrick believed to be a priority and the former champions will no doubt be interested if a player of Gundogan’s quality is available.