Arteta needs a winger and a strikerArteta needs a winger and a striker
Arteta needs a winger and a striker | Arsenal FC via Getty Images
Arsenal are said to be tracking the contract situation of a Premier League title winner.
Arsenal are said to be keeping an eye on a contract situation on the continent as they look to strengthen their ranks this summer. The Gunners are expected to prioritise deals for a striker and winger this summer having been left short in both positions over recent months.
The injuries to Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus have had an immense impact on the Gunners’ season, and beyond that, Bukayo Saka’s absence over recent months, and Gabriel Martinelli’s injury that lasted less time but coincided with Saka’s absence, left Arsenal struggling at the top end of the pitch.
Up top, they were left with no striker, while out wide there were options, but there is a feeling that the step down to Leandro Trossard from the aforementioned duo is too great, at least to still win the Premier League. Mikel Arteta is likely to look to address the issue this summer, and there are reports that he is looking at a player he has previously coached at Manchester City.
That player is Leroy Sané, who faced an uncertain future with Bayern Munich. The German winger has been with Bayern since 2020, making 145 league appearances since, but his current contract expires at the end of this season, and The Sun say Arsenal are monitoring the situation, with reports that Bayern have not even started conversations with Sané ahead of his contract expiring.
Fortunately for Bayern, Sané has vowed not to look elsewhere until the end of the season, so there doesn’t seem to be a risk of him agreeing a pre-contract with a club outside Germany, at least not while the season is ongoing. "Of course clubs have asked about my situation. But everyone knows my position on the matter," said Sané previously. "I'm not going to deal with it at the moment, I'm going to concentrate on Bayern and try to be as successful as possible with the team."
Arsenal’s reported interest in Sané shouldn’t come as a surprise given Arteta worked with him at City, and beyond that, he is still 29 years of age and able to do a job at a title-contending club, something he has proved at Bayern, and indeed at City where he scored 25 goals in 90 league appearances from out wide.
As Arsenal watch on, Bayern boss Vincent Kompany has dismissed questions over Sané’s contract situation. He recently said: “I understand that the whole contract extension thing is a topic right now, but I’m not going to take part in that. For me the most important thing is the performance - and how he performed today and in the past weeks. I’ve known Leroy for a very long time, he was my teammate. I don’t know what happened in the past, but right now with me, he’s just as he was as my teammate, and that’s a good thing. Of course it’s a pity he didn’t score a birthday goal (the chance in the 71st minute), but there will be another chance to do so in 3-4 days. That’s the focus now.”
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