As they continue to look for ways to advance this transfer window, Arsenal is still being connected to a Premier League master.
What has changed since Ilkay Gundogan joined Arsenal?
The most recent claims come from the German publication Kicker, which notes that the Arsenal are still in talks about signing wizard Ilkay Gundogan from Manchester City.
Rumours appear to be shifting to who might replace Granit Xhaka in north London now that he is very close to leaving the Emirates, with the Germany international being a terrific value given that his £140,000-per-week contract ends this summer.
Despite having a conversation with the Gunners, they will probably hold off on making a serious move to sign him until after his Champions League final on Sunday.
Pep Guardiola has acknowledged that he wants to keep the 32-year-old, whose brace last week helped them achieve their second victory on the way to the treble.
Ilkay Gundogan: How excellent is he?
The seasoned maestro seems to only get better with each term, as his athleticism holds steady while his experience only expands. He has therefore had some of his finest creative numbers in the Premier League this season, showing up at crucial times with crucial goals.
However, it is his function as a facilitator inside the Citizens’ system that truly merits appreciation, as he subtly ties the play together to make sure everything continues to go according to plan.
Without him, Rodri wouldn’t have as much protection, which would make the back line less safe. allowed that Gundogan also provides another offensive danger, which gives Erling Haaland the opportunities to score as many goals as he does, Kevin De Bruyne would consequently not be allowed nearly as much room.
If the former Borussia Dortmund star decides to join Arsenal, he might play a similar role in Mikel Arteta’s midfield and help Gabriel Jesus catch up to the 52 goals the Norwegian goal machine has already scored in all competitions.
gabriel-jesus-arsenal
After all, the two did play together for a while at Manchester, when he reached the height of his goal-scoring prowess with the support of this technically skilled superstar.
But now that he’s left the Etihad and become more of a focal point in this team, perhaps his newly found confidence in combination with a player who would give him more room could prove lethal, boosting both his 11 goals and seven assists from what has been a rookie year marred by injuries.
The Brazilian international’s inventiveness may also enable his partnership with Gundogan to become legendary, given that he has scored 11 goals on his own across all competitions this season.
Due to his skill as a tactician, Patrick Vieira especially stressed the relationship the midfielder has with the striker while playing from deep:
“That is just displaying his technical skill and quality on the free-kick to simply place the ball where he wants to. He did a good job of highlighting the fact that because defenders are so focused on Haaland, they miss opportunities for him and the offensive midfielders to enter the penalty area and score goals. He uses great timing in his runs to enter the box. He ranks among the league’s top.
He might turn out to be the missing element that lifts them over Guardiola’s team and elevates Jesus to new heights by relocating to north London.
