AC Milan have been in talks with manager Massimiliano Allegri's top target, but the player has made clear his preference to join Arsenal instead.
Arsenal sweating over injuries amid international break
On the pitch, the timing of Arsenal's injury woes could hardly be worse.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta reacts-1
The Gunners go into the international break bruised not just by their 2-0 Carabao Cup final defeat to Man City, but by a mounting injury list that is threatening to derail the most important weeks of their season.
Eberechi Eze faces a potential six-week absence after missing the final with a calf injury, which comes as disastrous news for Mikel Arteta.
The longer Eze is absent, the more threadbare Arsenal's creative options become.
William Saliba and Gabriel — the defensive spine of one of the Premier League's best backlines — have both withdrawn from international duty with ankle and knee complaints respectively.
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Arsenal handed positive injury news by BBC journalist after nightmare last few days
Mikel Arteta's side have a host of fresh concerns.
Jurrien Timber remains sidelined. Leandro Trossard has also dropped out of Belgium's squad.
And then there is Mikel Merino. The midfielder who joined from Real Sociedad last summer to add steel and quality to Arsenal's engine room has not kicked a ball since suffering a rare foot injury against Man United in January. He underwent surgery, and is not expected back until May at the earliest.
His absence has been felt throughout the second half of the season, and it was his injury that triggered Arsenal's frantic late attempt to sign reinforcements on January deadline day.
While there is hope that captain Martin Odegaard could be fit again after the international break, it is a worrying state of affairs for the league frontrunners.
That failed attempt to bring in a midfielder is now set to become a summer priority — and the name at the top of the list, according to Italian outlet Calciomercato, is very much still available.
Leon Goretzka eyeing summer move to Arsenal
Leon Goretzka will leave Bayern Munich at the end of this season.
Bayern Munich's Joshua Kimmich, Leon Goretzka, Harry Kane and Serge Gnabry-1
The 31-year-old has announced he will not be extending his contract at the Allianz Arena, departing as a free agent after eight years in Bavaria.
Bundesliga titles, a Champions League, DFB-Pokal honours — he leaves with a cabinet full of medals and, crucially, a burning desire to test himself in the Premier League.
Calciomercato are unambiguous about where his preference lies.
The player's first choice is Arsenal and the Premier League, they report, with the Gunners sitting comfortably at the front of the queue.
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Bayern Munich's Leon Goretzka
German journalist Christian Falk has previously backed that assessment up in detail, stating that Goretzka "in his heart feels this would be a perfect next club" and believes a Champions League winner's medal with another club is entirely within reach at the Emirates.
Arsenal's interest is not new — they reportedly tabled an offer on January deadline day, only for it to arrive too late for either party to act.
Goretzka had given his word to Bayern that he would stay for the season. He honoured it, and now both sides are free to pick up where they left off.
Milan are the primary threat to Arsenal's hopes.
Their director, Igli Tare, is working hard to persuade Goretzka, though his demands — understood to be a three-year deal at around £115,000-per-week plus a £9 million signing bonus — represent a significant ask.
Goretzka is apparently Allegri's 'priority' target, but they face an uphill battle to get him.
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Inter Milan and Atlético Madrid have also entered serious discussions, while Serie A clubs Juventus and Napoli are monitoring too.
But the lure of Champions League football in north London, combined with the genuine technical and physical fit — Goretzka's box-to-box power and driving runs from deep are tailor-made for the Premier League — gives Arsenal a meaningful edge that money alone may not overcome.
For a club that is nine points clear at the top of the Premier League table and still competing in the Champions League and FA Cup, the case Arteta can make to Goretzka is a compelling one.
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The Gunners have several injury concerns over the international break.