Arsenal report: Manchester City midfielder to open talks, as shock move gathers pace

Mikel Arteta manager / head coach of Arsenal — Could Mikel Arteta sign another Manchester City star? (Image credit: Getty Images)

Arsenal have emerged as the shock destination for a Manchester City midfielder.

Mikel Arteta's side have enjoyed a fantastic week in which results have swung their way in both the Premier League and Champions League – and with both Arsenal and Manchester City still competing for the title, there may be twists to come before the end of the season.

Manchester City star scheduled for talks, with Arsenal ready to move

The Gunners are no stranger to dealing with City, with Arteta having worked at the Etihad Stadium himself after retiring as a player in 2016.

Oleksandr Zinchenko and Gabriel Jesus made the move from Manchester to London in 2022, but aside from former Citizen, Raheem Sterling, going on loan to the Emirates Stadium last year, there haven't been any major moves between the two sides since Arteta's squad started competing in title races.

Gabriel Jesus celebrates after scoring for Manchester City against Stoke City, 2017 — Moves between City and Arsenal aren't unheard of (Image credit: Alamy)

That could be set to change with Tijjani Reijnders' future in doubt.

The Dutchman started the season with an outstanding display away to Wolverhampton Wanderers but has lost his place in Pep Guardiola's side in recent weeks and struggled for consistency in his first season in England, following a move from Milan last summer.

Now, Caught Offside reports that Arsenal are one of a number of clubs keeping an eye on the situation, with Reijnders set for talks with City at the end of the season.

Man City are looking to strengthen in midfield this summer, with the likes of Elliot Anderson and targeted and Bernardo Silva leaving the club – leaving Reijnders' place in the squad potentially under threat.

FourFourTwo understands, however, that though Arsenal are monitoring the situation, they are not seriously considering an offer for the 27-year-old right now, with other targets in midfield held as higher priorities.

Tijjani Reijnders of Manchester City runs past Joao Gomes and Andre of Wolverhampton Wanderers — Tijjani Reijnders may leave City after just 12 months (Image credit: Malcolm Couzens/Getty Images)

Arteta has been linked with a new no.6, following the lack of minutes given to Christian Norgaard following his move from Brentford last summer, though the emergence of Myles Lewis-Skelly as an option centrally may mean transfer plans change.

The Gunners are also targeting new signings at right-back and in attack.

Reijnders is valued at €60 million by Transfermarkt. Arsenal travel to West Ham United this weekend as Premier League action continues.

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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.