Arsenal, despite still being in with a shout of winning three trophies this term, are looking ahead to the summer transfer window – and their pursuit of Bayern Munich midfielder Leon Goretzka has been given a huge boost according to reports.
Declan Rice and Martin Zubimendi form a vital part of Mikel Arteta’s spine at the Emirates Stadium but, beyond those two, their options are thin.
Signing a new midfielder is definitely high on the club’s priority list in terms of summer incomings and Sandro Tonali is among those who are on their radar. The Newcastle United star, however, could be out of their price range.
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Real Madrid’s Eduardo Camavinga is also of interest to Arteta and his entourage and recent reports have insisted that they could swoop in and hijack a move from Liverpool because of the Champions League guarantee.
Goretzka wants to join Arsenal amid AC Milan interest
Goretzka, a seasoned Germany international, is set to leave Bayern Munich in the summer months when his contract comes to an end in June.
Because of his experience in the Bundesliga and on the European stage – as evidenced by his solitary Champions League triumph – Goretzka is going to have no shortage of would-be buyers come the end of the season.
And, according to Calcio Mercato, Arsenal are leading the race for the experience engine room operator.
Landing a move to north London is reportedly at the top of the midfielder’s preference list – but the difficulty now lies in terms of what he wants from a financial point of view.
Goretzka wants a three-year deal worth €7 million per year plus bonuses. A signing-on fee of €10 million is also part of his demands.
Serie A side AC Milan are also interested in the six-time Bundesliga champion, who has played 301 times for the German outfit, but it’s been reported that the Gunners are ahead of them in a potential tug-of-war for his signature.
The Italian side have reportedly been in contact with the player’s representatives for a while but there has – at the time of writing – been no breakthrough in talks. Elsewhere, Inter Milan, Juventus and Napoli are also credited with an interest.
Does Goretzka to Arsenal make sense?
As mentioned, Rice and Zubimendi have forged a formidable two-man partnership in the middle of the park since the latter’s arrival from Real Sociedad in the summer – but how could Goretzka disrupt that?
Simply, he wouldn’t. Alongside Mikel Merino, Goretzka would be a decent option off the bench for Arteta and his entourage.
He’s spent eight years at the highest level in Bavaria and winning trophies is now part of his year-to-year exploits. Arsenal have, often, lacked that cutting edge when it comes down to players taking them over the line.
| Club | Matches | Goals | Assists | Yellow/Red Cards |
| Bayern Munich | 301 | 48 | 50 | 32/0 |
| FC Schalke 04 | 147 | 19 | 16 | 15/0 |
| Germany | 67 | 15 | 12 | 3/0 |
| VfL Bochum | 36 | 4 | 8 | 1/0 |
Tangibly, Goretzka would bring his all-action presence to the midfield, thriving when making late runs into the box. A physical presence, too, it’ll be interesting to see whether Arsenal would table an offer for the soon-to-be free agent.
