Owen Hargreaves has heaped praise on Arsenal transfer target Ilkay Gundogan after winning a fifth Premier League title in Manchester City colours.
The 32-year-old, whose contract at the Etihad expires in the summer and could be out of Manchester City’s treble-winning campaign, has been described by Hargreaves as “almost the perfect Guardiola player”, as he told Premier League production (21/05/23 at 6:50pm).
Beyond that, Hargreaves described Ilkay Gundogan as someone who “always produces merchandise” when the big games arrive, as he’s proven over the past few months.
Unfortunately for Arsenal, it came at their expense as they lost their chance to become champions of England for the first time since 2004.
But will Gundogan be able to wear their colors next season? With Mikel Arteta looking to reunite with another City player, it has been suggested he will get the deal he wants at the Etihad and he could stay where he is.
A player of Gundogan’s talent, composure and technical ability can certainly go on to win trophies, with Hargreaves lauding the midfielder’s importance.
“A fantastic football player,” Hargreaves said. “He can play a lot of different positions. Remember the season when he was almost the team’s shooter?
“He can play centre-forward. Deep midfield. Box-to-box. He’s almost perfect Pep player Ilkay Gundogan, no ego. No opinion. He can be dropped and sit on the bench.
“He can play the biggest games and is always there when you need him. He always produces merchandise. And he’s humble and courteous. But deep down there’s a winner.
“I think Gündoğan set the tone for what Pep wanted from these players. He didn’t want a diva. You look at Cancelo. There was something there that he didn’t like and he went away.”
Can Arsenal make a ‘big statement’ by signing GUNDOGAN?
Arsenal and Arteta were already on that path before signing Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko.
But someone like Gundogan would take Arsenal’s midfield to a higher level and Ally McCoist believes it will be a “big statement” for the club.
There is no doubt that he will start immediately and adapt to the No. 8 position on the left side, alongside Thomas Partey, and there are reports that Granit Xhaka is about to leave.