Arsenal are reportedly in talks over sealing the transfer of Bayer Leverkusen goalkeeper Bernd Leno, who has a €25million release clause with the club.
According to Bild, Atletico Madrid are also in the running for the German shot-stopper, who looks an absolutely crucial purchase for the Gunners if they can pull it off.
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Leno would be a major upgrade on Petr Cech and David Ospina as options for Arsenal in goal, with the pair proving major weak links in Arsene Wenger’s side for some time now.
Arsenal will hope their recent appointment of Sven Mislintat as head of recruitment at the Emirates Stadium can give them an edge in the deal due to the former Borussia Dortmund man’s connections in German football.
He’ll likely be well aware of Leno’s fine performances in the Bundesliga and it’s hard to imagine he would struggle to replicate that kind of form in the Premier League.
Arsenal cannot afford to be too picky as they face a busy summer of hiring a new manager to replace Wenger, but signing the right players for the Frenchman’s successor is also vital to ensure a good start for the new man.