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.
READ MORE: Granit Xhaka reveals what Arsenal need to do to catch Manchester City next season
"He is an incredibly respected figure at the club. He has a great story around him with what he has achieved at the club in going through very tough moments and he is a key and very important part of us - whatever happens is something we will discuss, certainly not now."
A report from The Athletic states that Arsenal are determined to sign Declan Rice and Mason Mount this summer, but may require an additional player in that department if Xhaka joins Bayer Leverkusen. The report adds that the Gunners hold a concrete interest in Gundogan and Arteta is the driving factor behind it, having worked with the 32-year-old German at the Etihad Stadium and identified him as the ideal replacement for Xhaka.
City are set to make fresh efforts to convince Gundogan to stay with Pep Guardiola's team but the German has other possibilities to join the likes of Barcelona. As things stand, no agreements have been reached and the situation is still open.
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