Bayern Munich have entered the race for Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka, offering him a three-year deal plus the option of another year added on top.
That’s according to 4-4-2 in Switzerland, who say that the German champions are ‘courting’ the midfielder and ‘concretely’ to boot.
Xhaka is expected to leave Arsenal at some point this summer and has been heavily linked with a move to Bayer Leverkusen, who have been working on a potential deal for several weeks.
The Switzerland international is reportedly keen on a switch back to the Bundesliga after his time at Arsenal and Xabi Alonso is keen to make that happen if he can.
According to 4-4-2’s information, the Bundesliga champions want to tie Xhaka down for the next three years and will include the option of extending that by another year in any deal.
They’ve made that clear to his representatives but their bid ‘does not enjoy priority’ as Bayer Leverkusen have offered a five-year deal.
That’s not the only thing convincing Xhaka to move there, though, as he and his family would also prefer to live in the Rhineland again as opposed to Munich.
Leverkusen are also believed to be offering Xhaka ‘employment beyond the contract’ he is being offered, such as work in the youth sector. That plan has impressed the Arsenal midfielder and so preference is now being given to Leverkusen.
The sticking point at the moment is the transfer fee. Arsenal want €25m but Leverkusen won’t pay that for a player whose contract expires in 2024 and they are working to bring the fee down to one they can agree on.
