Arsenal have been in touch with the close representatives of a Real Madrid star as they express concrete interest in a summer deal, according to reports.
Arsenal dealt Premier League title blow after Man City defeat
Arsenal's Premier League title bid took a significant blow last Sunday, and with the pressure now building from the top and from within the club, transfer planning for the summer is already beginning to advance.
Arteta-Guardiola
Erling Haaland's second-half strike gave Man City a 2-1 win over the Gunners at the Etihad Stadium, cutting Arsenal's lead at the top to just three points.
It was Arsenal's second consecutive Premier League defeat, following their loss to Bournemouth the previous week.
Haaland had not scored in the league since February, but his 65th-minute effort was his 34th of the season and proved the difference in a game Arsenal will rue having hit the post twice.
City now have a game in hand and could go level on points with Arsenal if they win tonight's clash at Burnley.
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Arsenal also face the added complexity of a Champions League semi-final against Atlético Madrid coming up, with domestic and European commitments overlapping in the final weeks of the campaign.
Amidst all of the title race tension, sporting director Andrea Berta is also looking at the summer window, and one name that has resurfaced prominently is Real Madrid's Arda Güler.
Arsenal in touch with Real Madrid star Arda Guler's close circle
According to CaughtOffside reporter Mark Brus, Arsenal have made contact with people close to the Turkish international to explore the possibility of a transfer.
Arda Guler for Real Madrid
A source with ties to the agents' industry has explained that Berta and co are very keen on what would be an ambitious summer deal for Guler.
However, as things stand, the 21-year-old with 20 goal contributions in all competitions this term is pretty keen on remaining where he is.
"Arsenal have been in touch with those close to Arda Güler to see if there's any scope for discussing a transfer this summer," said the source.
"At the moment, he's not giving the green light. They have sounded out this deal again but the answer still seems very much the same — he's happy where he is, and there's no indication that the club are ready to sell."
The source added:
"Alonso showed a lot of faith in him last summer and that was one reason he stayed, but not the only one, so barring something dramatic, a change in manager this summer is not likely to give interested clubs any kind of boost.
It is understood that Arsenal looked seriously at Güler in 2025 and were told categorically that he was not available.
The renewed interest has been prompted in part by uncertainty over who will take permanent charge of Madrid following the end of interim boss Álvaro Arbeloa's tenure, with a change in management potentially altering the landscape for fringe players.
Güler has recorded six goals and 14 assists for Real this term, after originally struggling for game time in the early years of his Bernabeu career.
Guler has apparently been identified internally at Arsenal as a potential long-term successor to Martin Odegaard in the number ten position, with the Norwegian having struggled for consistency and fitness this season.
Arsenal-Martin-Odegaard
Brus notes in his report that Arsenal have demonstrated persistence in this market before, pointing to the decisive role Arteta played in convincing both Declan Rice and Martin Zubimendi to commit to the club ahead of competing offers.
Whether that persuasive power extends to prising Güler away from Spain this summer, however, is up for debate.
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