Arsenal have been handed a fresh chance to sign former Jurgen Klopp favourite Julian Brandt, with the midfielder reportedly expected to leave Borussia Dortmund.
Brandt joined Dortmund from Bayer Leverkusen three years ago and has scored seven goals so far this season. But it has been a disappointing campaign for the Black and Yellow in their first campaign under manager Marco Rose.
As a result, Rose is preparing to overhaul his squad, having seen his team crash out early of both the Champions League and DFB-Pokal. With Bayern Munich having once again romped to the Bundesliga title, a busy summer window is expected at Signal Iduna Park.
A large part of the squad's transformation will go from sales and star striker Erling Haaland is not the only expected departure. According to BILD, Dortmund 'no longer plan' to have Brandt in their squad for next season.
With Dortmund keen to move him on, the 25-year-old is said to have sent his father to 'explore the market'. The Premier League is thought to be Brandt's 'primary goal' with a move to a fellow Bundesliga club virtually 'out of the question'.
The news will undoubtedly reignite Arsenal's interest as Mikel Arteta's continues to revamp his options at the Emirates Stadium. Brandt was one of the players the Gunners targeted in the January transfer window, though a move failed to materialise.
HAVE YOUR SAY! Would Julian Brandt be a good signing for Arsenal? Comment below.
But with Dortmund ready to cut ties with the midfielder, Arteta has been handed a second chance to get his man. The deal should also be relatively cheap, with BILD stating that a fee in the region of £16.5million should be enough for Dortmund to sell.
While Brandt would 'prefer' to stay in Dortmund, the writing appears to be on the wall. If Arsenal were able to sign him, it would see them bring in a player who Klopp has admired for some time.
The German boss was reported to have attempted to bring Brandt to Liverpool, before being convinced that Mohamed Salah was the better option. The midfielder continues to be a solid option for Dortmund, with Rose recently hailing him after he provided two assists in a 6-1 demolition of Wolfsburg a fortnight ago.
"I think Jule is having a very decent season overall. He did an excellent job in Stuttgart, and today he showed his quality once again. He’s a player who can really rouse up the stadium with a back heel. But he knows what the issues he needs to work on are, I know what his issues are. We’re working on it,” Rose said.
While he remains a young player with several "issues" to work on, Brandt would likely represent an interesting target for Arsenal. He has played in five different positions so far this season, mainly in central midfield.
Despite enjoying what many view to have been a successful campaign, Arteta is still expected to be planning for a busy summer window. He will be hoping to replicate his success from last year, when the likes of Aaron Ramsdale, Ben White and Martin Odegaard all arrived at the Emirates.
