Arsenal join race to sign 27-year-old German international on a free transfer this summer - Reports

Arsenal are reportedly among multiple clubs looking to sign Borussia Dortmund midfielder Mahmoud Dahoud in the summer transfer window.

According to Fichajes.net (via CaughtOffside), the Gunners are interested in Dahouh, who will be a free agent once the season ends. The report added that the 27-year-old is not planning to sign a new deal with Dortmund and has received interest from a number of European sides.

Mikel Arteta's side will reportedly need to fight off Atletico Madrid, S.S.C. Napoli, AC Milan, AS Roma, Sevilla and Leicester City for Dahoud's signature. Should they manage to sign him, the German could be a shrewd addition to their midfield.

It's worth noting, however, that Dahoud has endured an injury-plagued season so far. The midfielder picked up a shoulder injury very early in the campaign and has already missed 19 matches across all competitions for Dortmund. He recently returned from injury and has featured in three of their last five Bundesliga games.

Dahoud also played only 22 league games last season after sustaining injuries to his knee and shoulder. However, he showed glimpses of his quality in those games. The Arsenal-linked midfielder averaged 1.3 key passes, 1.9 tackles, 0.8 interceptions, 1.2 successful dribbles and 4.2 successful duels per game.

Overall, Dahoud has played 116 times for Borussia Dortmund since arriving from Borussia Monchengladbach in 2017, registering five goals and 16 assists. He has also won two caps for Germany, but hasn't featured for Die Mannschaft since 2020.

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Arsenal have also been linked with West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice

Given the competition they face as per the aforementioned report, Arsenal could still miss out on Mahmoud Dahoud. However, the Gunners have other options and have reportedly made West Ham United captain Declan Rice one of their primary targets for the summer transfer window.

The report came from Sky Sports journalist Dharmesh Sheth, who said (as quoted by HITC):

“They showed that they wanted to strengthen in that area during January when they went in for Moises Caicedo and went in strongly for him.

“Of course, they didn’t manage to get him, but Declan Rice now appears to be the primary target. The noises we’re hearing is that could be a very realistic one to do for Arsenal in the summer.”

Rice, 24, has been ever-present for West Ham this season. The Englishman has recorded two goals and two assists in 25 Premier League matches this term. He has also averaged 2.0 tackles, 1.5 interceptions, 1.2 key passes and 4.1 successful duels per game.