Arsenal make contact over potential move to sign Manchester City duo: Reports

Arsenal have reportedly made contact with Manchester City over a surprise swoop for forward Julian Alvarez and right-back Kyle Walker. Mikel Arteta wants to sign two more players from the defending Premier League champions, where he was an assistant manager earlier in his career.

As per a report in El Nacional, Alvarez and Walker are Arsenal's targets this summer. They believe that the two players are available and would be open to a switch to Emirates.

Alvarez has not managed to break into the first team as Erling Haaland has been Guardiola's go-to striker. The Norwegian has been in top form since joining last summer, making things difficult for the Argentine.

El Nacional claim Alvarez wants to play more often and is ready to leave Etihad. They claim that Walker wants out because Guardiola now plays without full-backs, and the Englishman is aware that Arsenal are in the market for a right-back.

Walker was linked with a move to Bayern Munich earlier this season. However, BILD claim Guardiola blocked the move, and new contract talks have begun at Etihad.

Arsenal signed Manchester City duo last summer

Mikel Arteta swooped in for Manchester City duo Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko last summer. They played a crucial role in helping the Gunners top the Premier League table for 93% of the season but missed out on the title to their former side.

Jesus was the first to be signed by Arteta from Manchester City last summer and he revealed that the decision was made beforehand. He recalled City's UEFA Champions League game against PSG in the 2021/22 season and claimed that Guardiola's decision to bench him for Zinchenko saw him call it quits. He said on the Denilson Show:

"There was a game he (Pep Guardiola) put Zinchenko false-nine. UCL, PSG at home. Crazy. The day before, he didn't even put him (Zinchenko) there in training; he put me at striker. Then the other day, Zinchenko even joked with me, 'That day I felt bad for you'. Two hours before the game, there's a team-talk; the team eats, rests, and goes. He gave the team. I didn't even eat. I went crying. I called my mother, 'I want to leave'. I'm going home, because he put him on and not me. He put a left-back there. I went crazy."

Jesus added:

"I didn't warm up. I wouldn't, with a cool head, I wouldn't. I stayed. I was bad. The game turned 0-0. With five minutes, Mbappe scored, 1-0. He (Pep Guardiola) called me. I gave an assist and scored. We turned it 2-1. … In the other game, I thought I was going to play. I didn't. There was a lot of that with him; it's not easy. But the player evolves. It is really hard. That's where I decided. I didn't want to stay anymore, and I decided to leave."

Zinchenko was signed late in the summer, and Arteta claimed that the move was to add options and versatility to the squad. He went on to play 33 matches for Arsenal last season and scored once.