Arsenal and Manchester City have been serious rivals over the last few years.
The Gunners pushed Pep Guardiola’s side for the Premier League title in each of the last two seasons, and there was a lot of animosity when the two sides met in this campaign as well.
Arsenal’s dreams of winning the title started slipping over a month ago, and Manchester City are now just three points behind Mikel Arteta’s side.
The priorities for the two clubs lie in different competitions now, but both teams are expected to make some big moves in the summer transfer window.
Jamie O’Hara has urged Arsenal to sign one Manchester City player.
Jamie O’Hara tells Mikel Arteta to sign Kevin De Bruyne for Arsenal
Kevin De Bruyne is one of the greatest players to ever play the English game.
The Belgian is a Manchester City legend, and he is one of the biggest reasons why they have been so successful since he joined them in a £55 million deal (BBC) almost a decade ago.
However, De Bruyne and City have both confirmed that they will be parting ways at the end of his contract in July.
The midfielder will be available on a free transfer, and clubs in the MLS and the Saudi Pro League are following De Bruyne’s situation very closely.
O’Hara, however, believes the City star is still a top-class player and is more than good enough to play for any team in the country, including Arsenal.
He has urged Arteta to sign De Bruyne once his City deal expires.
O’Hara said on Sky Sports: “Every team in the Premier League would take Kevin De Bruyne.
“If he is genuinely going to go, Mikel Arteta knows him, he should get straight on the phone and say: ‘Come and sign for Arsenal, we’ll win the league with you. I’m going to sign a striker, I’m going to have you in midfield. We’ll sort it out with you and Odegaard.’
“They’ve got Champions League football. I would be straight on the phone, give him whatever he wants, get him in that team because he’s a winner, he knows how to win, and he is still a top player. It makes a huge difference.”
Three reasons why Arsenal are unlikely to sign Kevin De Bruyne this summer
De Bruyne is an incredible player, nobody can deny that.
The Belgium international has shown his class time and again in the Premier League over the last nine years, and on his day, he can win games on his own.
But, we just can’t see a world in which Arsenal will sign him this summer for three reasons:
- Age: De Bruyne is 33 right now and will turn 34 in June. Arsenal have signed older players like Jorginho and Willian in the past, but it makes no sense for them to repeat that.
- Wages: De Bruyne is one of the best-paid players in the Premier League. He earns £400,000-a-week at City, and he would like a significant chunk of that at his next club, as that will likely be the final contract of his career. Arsenal are unlikely to pay so much this summer for a 34-year-old.
- Injury record: Since the start of the 2023/24 season, De Bruyne has missed 48 games and close to 200 days of football due to injuries. Arsenal don’t need that next season.
We understand where O’Hara is coming from – if everything goes to plan, De Bruyne would be a game-changer for Arsenal.
But, the chances of that happening are slim, so we don’t expect this to happen this summer.
