Mikel Arteta wants to sign Manchester City captain Ilkay Gundogan to replace Granit Xhaka at Arsenal this summer. The Swiss midfielder is in advanced talks to join Bayer Leverkusen in a €15million (£13million) deal and looks set to sign a contract until 2027 with the German club, football.london understands.
The news of Xhaka's potential exit came as a surprise given his superb 2022/23 campaign which has seen him notch 14 goal contributions from 45 games. The Gunners midfielder would be turning 31 at the start of next season and it appears now may be the right time for both parties to go their own way.
When discussing Xhaka's future at Arsenal last week, Arteta said: "The clarity is there. He is a player that has played I think every minute since I have been the manager.
