It was reported a while back that Grant Xhaka had informed the club that he’s ready to leave at the end of the season.
However, it was always expected that Mikel Arteta would like to bring Declan Rice to the club first before sanctioning the sale of his current captain. With Arsenal having bid a massive £105m offer for Rice, it seems only a matter of time before he’s welcomed at the club. Yet it seems that Xhaka’s departure may not be as smooth sailing as Bayer Leverkusen were expected.
That’s because The Mirror are reporting that Arsenal are set to demand £20m from the German side for the Swiss international.
Leverkusen, who were hoping to pay around £12m for Xhaka, will therefore have to up their offer if they want to add Xhaka to their squad for next season. The Bundesliga side are set to offer Xhaka a 4 year contract and view him as a long term signing, but it seems that they won’t get him for the bargain fee that they wanted.
Since the appointment of Mikel Arteta as Arsenal manager, Xhaka’s fortunes have turned around at the club as Arteta has made him a key player in the middle of the park. Although Arteta still regards the player highly, it seems that his wish to return to Germany will come true but it will cost Leverkusen more than they originally anticipated.
