Arsenal discuss shock Gundogan move

ARSENAL have identified alternatives to their No 1 target Declan Rice and also want to bring in creative midfielders, with Ilkay Gundogan on their shortlist. A £90million offer for West Ham captain Rice is expected soon, though his club want a lot more and believe Manchester United will offer it. Arsenal hope that Rice wants to stay in London but still retain their interest in Real Sociedad’s Martin Zubimendi, Wolves’ Ruben Neves and Brighton’s Moises Caicedo. Arsenal also feel that captain Martin Odegaard needs support in the No 10 role and have held talks with Manchester City’s Gundogan — who is out of contract this summer — and Chelsea’s Mason Mount. Granit Xhaka’s £13m move to Bayer Leverkusen will open up room and they will also look to offload Albert Sambi Lokonga, who has admirers at Burnley and Sevilla. Arsenal were willing to pay Zubimendi’s £53m release clause in January but he did not want to leave with Sociedad doing well. Wolves want £45m for Neves but would prefer to sell the 26-year-old abroad. Barcelona want Gundogan but the City captain knows Pep Guardiola wants him to stay. City have offered the German, 32, a one-year deal with an option for a further 12 months.

• ARSENAL’S chances of a favourable Champions League group-stage draw received a boost last night as Juventus were handed a 10-point deduction for false accounting by the Italian Federal Court of Appeal. The punishment all but ends Juve’s top-four hopes and means Arsenal are set to be placed in pot two next season, avoiding the likes of Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and either Bayern Munich or Borussia Dortmund.