Long goodbye! Granit Xhaka finally set for Arsenal exit as Gunners secure increased transfer fee from Bayer Leverkusen

Posted Tuesday, July 04, 2023 by Goal.com

Granit Xhaka is reportedly edging ever closer to an Arsenal exit, with Bayer Leverkusen prepared to pay significantly more for the midfielder.

WHAT HAPPENED? Football.London report that the Swiss international is closing in on a £21.5 million ($27.3m) transfer to the Bundesliga side, which is a significantly higher figure than the £13m ($16.5m) that was initially reported when the move was mooted.

THE BIGGER PICTURE: The 30-year-old, who joined Arsenal from Borussia Monchengladbach in 2016, is now set to seal a return to the German top tier after arguably his best season at the Emirates Stadium, in which he contributed seven Premier League goals and seven assists from midfield, helping Mikel Arteta's side finish second.

AND WHAT'S MORE: The expected arrival of Declan Rice for £105m ($121m) will go a long way to helping Arsenal replace Xhaka, with the Gunners also linked with Romeo Lavia and Moises Caicedo in terms of further midfield additions. They're also on the verge of signing Ajax's versatile defender Jurrien Timber.

WHAT NEXT FOR XHAKA? His move should be announced in the coming days and he could make his Leverkusen debut in a pre-season friendly against Paderborn on July 21.