Borussia Dortmund have some very important decisions to be made on player personnel in the upcoming weeks. With the departure of manager Jurgen Klopp and the disappointing season Dortmund have had, midfielder Ilkay Gundogan may be the first to lead the way out the door.
According to Daily Mail, Arsenal are front runners to land the German international, should he choose to leave Dortmund. Gundogan has a year left on his contract, but with the risk of losing him for free next year, Dortmund have given him an ultimatum. He is to sign a contract that will see him earn 4.5 million a year until 2019 or choose to leave. The German club would obviously want him to stay at the Westfalenstadion, but if the negotiations continue to draw out, they are willing to move on. It is rumored that he will make his decision by Friday.
Arsene Wenger and Arsenal have had their eye on Gundogan over the past few seasons and he would seemingly fit perfectly into Wenger’s system. His in game intelligence and his possession on the ball, along with his ability to play deeper in the midfield, have Gunners excited. He performed exceptionally well in this role at Dortmund, and consistently made Jurgen Klopp’s starting squad for a reason. He was influential in Dortmund’s resurgence.
The Arsenal midfield is already a little congested though, so Gundogan may prefer to go somewhere else with his talents. Manchester United are apparently very high on the German midfielder, as they have more of a dire need for a player of his type than Arsenal. If he does choose to leave the Ruhr Valley Club, expect a bidding war between Arsenal and Manchester United this summer.
