Arsenal track Dortmund’s Henrikh Mkhitaryan in bid to rebuild midfield

Posted Thursday, March 31, 2016 by theguardian.com

Henrikh Mkhitaryan, right, takes on Tottenham’s Dele Alli. The Borussia Dortmund attacking midfielder is wanted by Arsenal.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan is a summer transfer target for Arsenal. They have sent scouts to watch the Borussia Dortmund attacking midfielder and have further monitored his progress via video clips.

The 27-year-old, who was close to joining Liverpool and also Tottenham Hotspur during his time at Shakhtar Donetsk, is under contract at Dortmund until the summer of 2017 and the Bundesliga club are trying to get him to agree to fresh terms.

The Armenia international is torn between renewing at Dortmund – for whom he signed in 2013 from Shakhtar for £23.5m – and considering a move to the Emirates Stadium. He would have no shortage of other offers from clubs across Europe.

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Mkhitaryan caught the eye for Dortmund against Arsenal in the Champions League meetings between the clubs in the previous two seasons and he has been an outstanding performer in Europe and the Bundesliga, particularly this season, when he has scored 20 goals in all competitions. Quick, technically gifted and clinical, he can play in any position across the line behind the striker.

Arsène Wenger is likely to lose Mikel Arteta, Mathieu Flamini and Tomas Rosicky from his midfield in the summer. All three are out of contract and not expected to be given new deals, with age and injury problems having caught up with them while there is uncertainly over Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s future at the club.

Wenger signed Mohamed Elneny from Basel last January and the midfielder has made a positive start but there will be room for the Arsenal manager to make further additions in the department.

As well as Mkhitaryan, Wenger wants Granit Xhaka, the Borussia Mönchengladbach holding midfielder. The 23-year-old, who has an imposing physical presence plus skill and intelligent reading of the game, will carry Switzerland’s hopes at the European Championship in the summer.

Vladimir Petkovic dropped Gökhan Inler, the experienced Leicester City midfielder, for the recent international friendlies, partly because he believes Xhaka can be the leader of his Swiss team.

Wenger is also interested in the Lorient left-back Raphaël Guerreiro, who can play further forward at left midfield, too. Arsenal have made repeated scouting checks on the pacy 22-year-old Portugal international and, were he to sign, Wenger could listen to offers for Kieran Gibbs.