family reasons
Note: This article was first published on Tuesday, May 9, 2:11 p.m. and was updated with new information on Wednesday.
Bayer Leverkusen’s interest in signing Swiss international Granit Xhaka from Arsenal FC is, according to information from “sports1” and the “DailyMirror“ unbroken. The British daily justifies this in a report on Tuesday with the fact that Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta is a close friend of Bayer coach Xabi Alonso. Xhaka, who moved from Borussia Mönchengladbach to London in 2016 for around 45 million euros, still has a contract with the second-placed Premier League team until the summer of 2024 plus an option for another year.
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The newspaper speculates that the 30-year-old may want to change because the English club wants to reorganize its midfield. According to reports, the focus is on Moisés Caicedo, Brighton’s most valuable player at the moment, and West Ham’s international Declan Rice – Arsenal are said to be willing to invest up to 100 million euros in a new signing for the centre, which would mean a club-internal record sum. With 12 goals in the league, Xhaka is playing his most successful season on the Thames. The transfer fee for the 30-year-old, with whose sale the “Gunners” could only bring in larger sums this summer, is said to be around 20 million euros.
Update May 10, 7:39 am: To the “table footballAccording to the Bundesliga club, Xhaka has good cards in poker. Accordingly, the “Gunners” are ready to let the Swiss go for 15 million euros. In addition, there are family reasons, after which the midfielder’s wife has long wanted to return to the Rhineland, where Xhaka and family lived during his time at Borussia Mönchengladbach.
22x over 10 million: Bayer Leverkusen’s most expensive additions
Xhaka to Bayer 04? Community discussed: “Would be hyped for this transfer”
In the TM community, the speculation is viewed with appropriate skepticism. “I can’t imagine at all. In recent years, there has actually never been a 30-year-old signed for a sum in the double-digit millions. It’s just not in Bayer 04’s DNA, which is a good thing. Because in two to three years, no great resale value can be expected in relation to the transfer fee. I think people will look elsewhere here and if you spend 20 million euros, then for a player who is much younger than Xhaka,” writes the user “Farbenstaedter”, for example.
28 and older
Most expensive transfers from veteransTo the Bayer overview
The Werkself have only paid transfer fees eight times in their history for footballers over 30 and never more than 500,000 euros – the last time was in 2016 for goalkeeper Ramazan Özcan (36). “Vidal96” says: “We also got Sven Bender at the age of 28 for 15 million because we were missing a leading player. It wouldn’t be so atypical now.”
“Smokesletsgo” “somehow doesn’t see our construction site at the position. Andrich does his job well. But maybe he should act more offensively in the future.” User “Dankejanke” writes: “Hyypiä and Spahic alone are very good examples of investing in experience. Even if the transfer fee is in double digits. Would be hyped for this transfer.”
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