Arsenal are looking to strengthen their midfield this summer with ambitious moves for Manchester City’s Ilkay Gundogan and Chelsea’s Mason Mount. The Gunners have fallen short in their Premier League title challenge and will need significant reinforcements to come back better next season and be able to fight on the Champions League front as well. Manager Mikel Arteta and sporting director Edu are looking at central midfield as a key area of improvement and West Ham’s Declan Rice remains their key target. They also have ‘concrete interest’ in Man City star Gundogan, who is out of contract at the end of the season and has been linked with a move to Barcelona on a free transfer. Arteta, who worked with the Germany international at the Etihad, is keen to tempt him to north London and it would be a serious coup if he could pull it off.
Mount is heading into the final year of his Chelsea contract which expires in 2024 and a number of clubs are circling for a summer move if no new agreement is reached. The England international has had a frustrating season with the Blues and Arsenal, along with Manchester United and Liverpool have been linked with offering him a new start. Incoming Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino will have a big say in the matter as he will decide how important Mount is to his plans at Stamford Bridge, which will determine how likely he is to move on this summer.
