Leverkusen push their luck with special Arsenal request in Granit Xhaka deal

Bayer Leverkusen are pushing their luck as they pursue Arsenal star Granit Xhaka. Reports claim the Bundesliga side want the Gunners to give them a ‘further discount’ on the price they value the midfielder at.

Xhaka has been linked with a move back to Germany in the past. He came close to joining Hertha Berlin in January 2020 after the public falling out with Arsenal fans earlier that season that saw him stripped of the captaincy.

Mikel Arteta, just a matter of weeks into the role as Gunners boss, persuaded Xhaka to stay. The same happened in the summer of 2021 when it appeared he would join Jose Mourinho at Serie A side Roma but then penned a new deal at the Emirates.

Leverkusen were first linked with Xhaka last summer and are again said to be interested. But the Swiss star is enjoying arguably his best season in an Arsenal shirt after winning over many of the club’s supporters.

Read more…
Arsenal boss Arteta showing ‘serious interest’ after Boey’s dream move emerges[GOSSIP]

Xhaka outlines Arsenal's aims for new Premier League season

The Mirror claimed this week that Arsenal would allow Xhaka to make the final decision on his future. The report says a fee would likely be less than £20million due to him turning 31 later this year and his contract expiring in 2024.

However, Leverkusen are hopeful of securing the player for much cheaper. Italian outlet TuttoMercatoWeb says Arsenal value Xhaka at around £8.7m (€10m) but Leverkusen have requested a further discount on that amount.

Arsenal signed Xhaka for a fee of up to £35m in 2016 from Borussia Monchengladbach. They are realistic that they will not get near that price at this point in his career.

However, anything less than £10m may raise eyebrows. Xhaka has been an instrumental part of the Arsenal side this season.

Don’t miss…
Arsenal have already found ideal free transfer to replace Jorginho[OPINION]
Frenkie de Jong to Man Utd transfer agreement and Erik ten Hag reaction[TRANSFERS]
Ratcliffe stance on Ten Hag speaks volumes with Man Utd season on brink[COMMENT]

Arteta will need as big a squad as he can assemble to manage with the addition of Champions League football next term. The presence of an experienced player such as Xhaka could be vital in European matches.

Therefore, Arsenal may decide it is in their best interests to keep the player until the following summer when his contract comes to an end. Replacing a player of Xhaka’s quality will not be easy for the money Leverkusen are willing to pay.

Arsenal are in the market for Declan Rice but that transfer would likely cost in excess of £100m. Arteta needs to add depth to his midfield options and not allow such a key player to walk away for practically nothing when he still has a year remaining on his contract.

Want the latest Premier League news as we publish it on Express Sport? Join our new Facebook group by clicking here

Source: Read Full Article