Before the transfer market opens, Arsenal has been connected to one of the best players in the Premier League as Mikel Arteta looks to boost his team.
The Spaniard led his team on a great title run this season, and even if they lost to Manchester City in the final stretch, they can still look back on the campaign with a lot of satisfaction.
For the first time since 2016, the Gunners will play Champions League football once more, and with an additional competition comes an increased requirement for squad depth, something that hindered Arsenal’s title challenge this season.
The Emirates may become the home of a player who might considerably help the team, as was reported before the summer.
What’s new with Ilkay Gundogan joining Arsenal?
Ilkay Gundogan, a star for Manchester City, is a target for Arsenal, as was initially revealed by The Athletic at the end of last month.
If a new contract cannot be reached with the Citizens, the 32-year-old will become a free agency at the end of the current season, which has gained attractiveness for the Arsenal.
Recent claims by the Evening Standard suggested that Arteta’s friendship with the German might be crucial to the north Londoners’ pursuit of the midfielder, a player he previously worked with in Manchester.
What benefits might Ilkay Gundogan bring to Arsenal?
The midfielder’s skill and experience are becoming more and more apparent as the season goes on, as was the case last weekend when he single-handedly propelled City to a hat trick by scoring two outside-the-box volleys at Wembley in the FA Cup final.
The Gelsenkirchen-born star could provide so much to Arteta’s developing Arsenal team, most notably serving as Martin Odegaard’s ideal partner.
The Spaniard, just as he has done with Oleksandr Zinchenko’s position in the defence since moving from the Etihad to the Emirates, might duplicate the success of the 32-year-old in Guardiola’s midfield.
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Kevin De Bruyne is one of the top creators in the Premier League, and Gundogan has him alongside him. The Belgian sets the standard for other creative midfielders to follow year after year.
The Danish playwright, Odegaard, who has been praised as a “playmaking genius” by scout Antonio Mango, could repeat the success of the German’s play.
The £140,000 per week City star averages 63 attempts per 90 passes and an 87.7% completion rate, according to FBref, suggesting he may be a second creator in Arsenal’s midfield, providing Odegaard additional options in the number 10 position.
De Bruyne benefits from the 32-year-old’s good energy because the pair are “masters of slowing down games when City lead,” according to Jack Gaughan of the Daily Mail, which might be crucial for Odegaard.
It can be difficult to believe that the 24-year-old Arsenal captain is leading the team, but the Gunners have recently had trouble maintaining leads, as evidenced by a recent run of games this season that included draws against Southampton, West Ham, and Liverpool.
The manager praised the “exceptional” jewel for being able to help the Norwegians advance not just offensively but also defensively and, with time and experience, in his ability to control the tempo of a game.
A player of Gundogan’s talent might have a variety of effects on Arteta’s developing Arsenal team, but his influence on Odegaard may be able to help the Gunners’ star reach new heights.
