For weeks and months we have been seeing a lot of Arsenal transfer rumours suggesting that the first deal of the summer for Arsene Wenger could be the capture of the Switzerland international midfield star Granit Xhaka. But the latest stories in the football media have thrown a big question mark over his move to north London.
The reports had continued and become more detailed until just a week or two ago we were hearing that the deal was done with his current club ,and that personal terms had been agreed with the 23-year old. Arsenal fans will be hoping for a lot more than this one transfer during the window but with veteran Gunners Tomas Rosicky, Mikel Arteta and Mathieu Flamini all set to leave the club at the end of the season it is clear that a quality central midfielder is the manager’s biggest concern.
So the news reported by The Sun today that a release clause in Xhaka’s current deal with Borussia Monchengladbach is a big worry. The clause apparently kicks in next summer and would mean that he can leave for just £24 million which is about £10 million less than Arsenal were said to be about to pay.
The report claims that news of it has reached the German champions Bayern Munich and they want to activate it when their own midfield star Xabi Alonso is out of contract in a year. Xhaka is said to be keen and that is not good news for Wenger and Arsenal.
If this does fall through who could the Gunners sign instead?