Arteta convinced Arsenal have ‘weapons’ to sign Man City star as he orders Edu to ‘pay more’
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta wants the Premier League club to up their offer for Ilkay Gundogan in order to beat Barcelona to his signature, according to reports.
The Gunners are looking to sign a couple of new midfielders in the summer transfer window with West Ham’s Declan Rice and Southampton’s Romeo Lavia looking like the most likely potential deals.
West Ham have turned down Arsenal’s latest offer for Rice with the Gunners offering £75m plus another £15m in add-ons, while Fabrizio Romano confirmed that Mikel Arteta and technical director Edu are now ‘advancing’ in negotiations with Southampton over Lavia.
The Athletic journalist David Ornstein confirmed ‘concrete interest’ from Arsenal in Manchester City midfielder Gundogan at the end of May.
Barcelona are also understood to be interested but his agent recently came out and denied rumours that his client had agreed a deal away from City.
Speaking about his own future recently, Gundogan said: “No decision has been made yet, I am in the process of deciding my future.
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“There was contact with Borussia Dortmund but it was never close as a return to the Bundesliga is not in my plans.”
Man City manager Pep Guardiola has also commented on interest in Gundogan, he said: “I’m aware of Barcelona interest but we’re also very interested in keeping him at Manchester City. I hope he stays with us. If Barça succeed in signing him, they will get a great, fantastic player.”
And now Spanish publication Nacional claim Arteta has told Arsenal and Edu to ‘pay more’ in order to beat Barcelona to the signing of Gundogan this summer.
Arsenal could ‘become a very difficult rival’ for the Catalan giants if Arteta gets his way and the Gunners are ‘taking giant steps to try to convince’ the Germany international to move to the Emirates Stadium.
Arteta ‘really likes’ Gundogan and reckons the former Borussia Dortmund midfielder will ‘fit very well into his scheme’ at Arsenal.
The report adds that Arsenal ‘will have many more weapons to compete’ with Barcelona – but the 32-year-old wants to spend ‘the final stretch of his sports career in a new ecosystem’ and he ‘wants to play’ under Xavi at the Camp Nou.
Earlier this month, Arsenal academy manager said that the Gunners are “in a good position” to sign the German this summer.
Mertesacker said as a pundit on German broadcaster ZDF: “I think the clubs are queuing. Because Arteta knows him and we probably haven’t broken off contact, we’re in a good position.
“I think he’ll let it all sink in first and then choose from one of the four clubs.”
