Arsenal to move for TWO more Manchester City stars this summer: report

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Arsenal signed two Manchester City players last summer – and could be braced to add another two to their ranks once again

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta and Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola look on during the Premier League match between Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur at Etihad Stadium on August 17, 2019 in Manchester, United Kingdom.
(Image credit: Matt McNulty - Manchester City/Manchester City FC via Getty Images)

Arsenal are looking to two Manchester City players in a bid to catch up with the Premier League champions.

The Gunners made Gabriel Jesus their marquee signing 12 months ago when they brought the Brazilian to north London with the offer of more regular football. Mere weeks later, they added Oleksandr Zinchenko – and both have been palpable hits at the Emirates Stadium. 

But Arsenal's recent 4-1 drubbing at the hands of Manchester City in the title run-in has highlighted that Mikel Arteta's men still have some way to go to reach the levels of their rivals. In the wake of that clash, Arteta has been linked with a few more City stars.

Erling Haaland celebrates scoring against Arsenal

Erling Haaland celebrates scoring against Arsenal (Image credit: Getty Images)

According to Spanish outlet Sport, Arsenal are extremely interested in adding Ilkay Gundogan to the squad when the City captain's deal expires this summer.

90min meanwhile claims that the Gunners could also bring Joao Cancelo to the Emirates Stadium, in another double swoop for Eastlands stars no longer wanted by Pep Guardiola. 

Gundogan was Guardiola's first signing upon moving to the Premier League and has fulfilled a number of roles within the side over the years. Arteta would likely use the German as a No.8 opposite Martin Odegaard, with Granit Xhaka rumoured to be heading for an exit by The Sun.

Cancelo could well be an option on either side of the team, however, with Arteta favouring inverted full-backs. The Portuguese could be used as an alternative to Zinchenko on the left but could also be used in place of Ben White at right-back. 

Ilkay Guendogan of Manchester City celebrates with teammate Joao Cancelo after scoring his team's second goal during the UEFA Champions League Group C stage match between Manchester City and FC Porto at Etihad Stadium on October 21, 2020 in Manchester, England. Sporting stadiums around the UK remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors.

Ilkay Gundogan and Joao Cancelo are both of interest to Arsenal (Image credit: Victoria Haydn/Manchester City FC via Getty Images)

Arteta joined Manchester City after retiring as a player to work under Guardiola as an assistant coach. The Basque's first signing upon joining Arsenal was Pablo Mari, a former City youth player.

Arsenal sit four points behind City in the Premier League.

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Arsenal are already being linked with a host of big names ahead of a season back in the Champions League. 

Mason Mount is an option in midfield, with Juventus star Dusan Vlahovic and Bayer Leverkusen's Moussa Diaby rumoured in the attack. Both Aston Villa's Ollie Watkins and Crystal Palace star Wilf Zaha are on the radar, too. Younger stars are interesting the Gunners, too: Vitor Roque might end up at the Emirates, while Flamengo's Matheus Franca is being watched. 

Meanwhile, cult hero Mathieu Flamini has refused to rule out a move to buy Arsenal. 

Mark White
Mark White
Content Editor

Mark White is the Digital Content Editor at FourFourTwo. During his time on the brand, Mark has written three cover features on Mikel Arteta, Martin Odegaard and the Invincibles, and has written pieces on subjects ranging from Sir Bobby Robson’s time at Barcelona to the career of Robinho. An encyclopedia of football trivia and collector of shirts, he first joined the team back in 2020 as a staff writer.