Arsenal preparing shock bid to sign Man City player amid Pep Guardiola exit uncertainty

Arsenal are reportedly preparing a surprise move to sign a Manchester City player this summer amid uncertainty over Pep Guardiola's future.

It has been reported that Guardiola is expected to leave City at the end of this season after a decade in charge, with Enzo Maresca set to be named as his successor.

The Spaniard has not officially announced his departure and has stated that he will hold discussions with his players, staff and chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak.

On the playing staff front, City have already announced the departures of John Stones and Bernardo Silva as free agents next month.

Rodri is being linked with a move to Real Madrid by Spanish media, while The Athletic's Sam Lee claimed on the 'Let Me Talk' podcast that fellow Spain midfielder Nico Gonzalez could also leave the club.

READ MORE: 'I've been told...' - Man City to lose third player in mass exodus amid Pep Guardiola exit rumours

Nico was a key player for Guardiola during the first half of this season but has found playing time harder to come by across recent months.

Man City exodus could continue amid Arsenal interest

The same can be said for Tijjani Reijnders, who scored and provided an assist on his Premier League debut against Wolves in August.

The Netherlands international went on to score a further three goals and register four assists before 2025 drew to a close, but has only started once in the Premier League since February.

The 27-year-old moved to the Etihad Stadium from AC Milan in a reported £46.5 million deal last summer, but could already be on his way once again.

That's according to TEAMtalk, who report that Arsenal are 'monitoring' the midfielder ahead of a surprise summer bid.

Tijjani Reijnders has struggled for playing time at Man City under Pep Guardiola (Image: Getty)

It is said that City want to recoup most, if not all, of the fee they initially splashed out to sign Reijnders as part of a midfield rebuild.

Arsenal are claimed to view the Dutchman as an option 'to bolster their engine room, especially if they need to rotate resources amid a busy fixture schedule'.

The Gunners may well first focus on outgoings, having prioritised new signings last summer as they pushed towards winning the Premier League title.

The Athletic's David Ornstein reported last week that there were some 'obvious candidates' to leave Arsenal in the upcoming transfer window.

He stated: "Following such heavy investment in recent years, it sounds like sales will be really important to Arsenal this summer.

"It's not clear if sales will have to come before signings or not, but they will have to come."

The Gunners have already confirmed one permanent departure, with centre-back Jakub Kiwior set to join FC Porto after the Portuguese club activated an option to buy worth £14.7 million contained within his existing his loan contract.