Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has made Leon Goretzka his number one midfield target ahead of the summer, according to the Daily Mirror.
Goretzka’s current contract expires next summer and he is yet to put pen to paper on a new deal with Bundesliga side Schalke, who are desperate for the 22-year-old to extend his stay in Germany.
However, the youngster is looking to make the next step in his career and isn’t short of potential suitors, with interest in his signature high.
Premier League duo Manchester City and Liverpool have been tracking Goretzka for some time now, while Serie A champions Juventus, La Liga leaders Barcelona and German giants Bayern Munich have also been monitoring the midfielder.
Schalke are running out of time to convince Goreztka to sign a new deal and could be forced into selling him in January if he turns down their last ditch attempts to get him to stay.
Wenger is hoping to strengthen accordingly in midfield, with the Arsenal boss facing the prospect of losing both Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez at the end of the season, with the pair, like Goretzka, out of contract next year.
Both Ozil and Alexis were in fine form at the weekend in Arsenal’s 2-0 win over Tottenham, though are set to be rested for their trip to Cologne on Thursday.
Arsenal have already progressed to the next round of the Europa League, but need a win in Germany to secure top spot in their group as they look to reinforce their credentials as one of the competition favourites with bookmakers.
