Arsenal star Granit Xhaka is in advanced talks to sign for Bayer Leverkusen in the summer transfer window.
Arsenal are in advanced talks with the German side over a deal that could be worth in the region of around £13 million for Xhaka.
The 30-year-old Swiss footballer has only one year remaining on his current Arsenal contract and there is no expectation that the club will look to extend that deal. There is, however, an option of an extra year, which will help to protect the midfielder’s transfer value this summer.
Xhaka who has been at Arsenal since 2016, has scored seven goals and grabbed seven assists from 45 appearances in all competitions this season. Remaining at Emirates Stadium beyond the summer would have seen him enter the final 12 months of his contract, with the club also holding an option to extend that by another 12 months.
The Swiss football star has endured some turbulent times during his career at Arsenal, most notably in 2019 when he was stripped of the captaincy following an outburst at fans when substituted during a game against Crystal Palace at Emirates Stadium.
The midfielder was ready to leave during that January transfer window and had agreed terms with Hertha Berlin.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, who enjoys a good relationship with Xhaka, persuaded him to stay after showdown talks. Roma were also interested in Xhaka last summer.
The Gunners are planning to revamp their midfield in the coming months due to lack of depth, and they are targeting two new signings.
West Ham captain Declan Rice is their No1 target, but Arsenal are also fans of Brighton’s Moises Caicedo and Chelsea’s Mason Mount.