Arsenal have missed out on the signing of Ilkay Gündogan, who appears set to choose Barcelona as his next club, with his agent close to saying 'yes', according to reports in Spain.
What's the latest Gundogan transfer news?
The report all but confirms Mikel Arteta will miss out on a player who would significantly impact his young Gunners side, as Gündogan's agent has apparently told the Catalans they will sign at Camp Nou, with the definitive agreement expected very soon.
This will be a disappointing blow for the Spaniard who would have fancied his chances of picking up the in-demand free agent, with Football London suggesting Arsenal were close to completing the move.
Last week Arsenal academy boss Per Mertesacker revealed his club were in a 'good position' to sign Gündogan from Man City, while speaking as a pundit in Germany, as reported by The Mirror.
The German would have been a brilliant coup and real statement signing for Arteta's project – a player who has won everything at club level, including the treble with City last season, his experience would've been invaluable.
The reason why Arteta will be disappointed to miss out on the midfielder is quite self-explanatory – Gündogan is a wonderful footballer, who despite being 32-years-old, is at the pinnacle of his game and coming off his best ever season. The 2022/23 campaign saw Gündogan tally up 11 goals and seven assists for City, along with countless key performances and big moments, particularly in crunch time.
Among his best performances was an immaculate brace against Everton in May to put City on their way to another league title. This performance prompted Manchester United legend Roy Keane to hail the midfielder saying: "What an outstanding player. What a player this guy is, absolutely brilliant."
High praise from a rival club's former legend, just proving the point that Gündogan is a special talent. Having played under Pep Guardiola for so many years, and given Arteta is essentially a student of Pep, Gündogan would have fit Arsenal like a glove.
Who are Arsenal linked with?
With Gündogan off the table, Arteta will now likely turn his attention toward alternatives. One name consistently linked with the Gunners is of course West Ham United's Declan Rice, who is fresh off his Conference League success in Europe.
Rice is reportedly being tracked by multiple Champions League sides, including Manchester City, Manchester United and Bayern Munich.
With Arsenal also reportedly willing to sell Thomas Partey, along with Granit Xhaka departing, Arsenal could be facing a huge effort to rebuild their midfield this summer and Rice could also be joined by Romeo Lavia.
