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Manchester United locked in battle with Arsenal for 'next Michael Ballack'
MANCHESTER UNITED and Arsenal are locked in a battle to sign a young German star, who is being touted as the next Michael Ballack.
Midfielder Leon Goretzka has piqued the interest of both clubs along with a clutch of top European clubs including Juventus and Real Madrid.
United are seeking to improve their midfield and as we reported yesterday, Sir Alex Ferguson is planning a £60m clear out of players in the summer.
Arsenal in the meantime, have an abundance of flair players with the likes of Santi Cazorla and Mikel Arteta but are in desperate need of some steel in the middle of the park.
Italian football website Calciomercato speaks of Goretzka in glowing terms and believes he could be ready to make the next step up in his career.
They also note that the current economic malaise in Italian football may not be conducive for Juventus to make a move for Goretzka, especially as they are readying a bid for Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Goretzka's current focus will be to ensure Bochum beat the drop in Bundesliga 2.