Arsenal and Liverpool are reportedly showing interest in a deal to bring highly-rated Bayer Leverkusen superstar Bernd Leno to the Premier League in the summer.
TransferMarketWeb have reported that Arsenal and Liverpool are showing interest in Bayer Leverkusen superstar Bernd Leno. The German custodian is rated as one of the best keepers in not only the Bundesliga but the whole of Europe. And he could be set to move to the illustrious Premier League in the summer, with Emirates and Anfield the likely destinations.
The report iterates that Arsenal and Liverpool are both in search of young, long-term but ready additions to the first-team setup in the goalkeeping department and their search for the same have brought them to the Bundesliga, as they both keep an eye on Leno.
Leno made the professional grade with VfB Stuttgart and subsequently moved to Bayer Leverkusen on a loan deal, where he made his Bundesliga debut. The deal was soon made permanent after seeing the player’s potential. And Leno hasn’t looked back. Making the goalkeeping spot his own has been just one of Leno’s many feats in a Leverkusen shirt.
The 24-year-old’s reflexes have been the subject of admiration of many on-lookers and he is revered by the Leverkusen fan base. Leno recently signed a new deal with Bayer, that sees him extend his stay at the club till 2020, if he honours the entirety of the contract.
Arsenal’s goalkeeping troubles are coming back to haunt them. The Gunners have failed to find a commanding presence between the posts since the departrue of Jens Lehmann, who was the last of his kind at Emirates. Since then, many have tried and failed to grasp the opportunity. Petr Cech, too, seems a distant shade of his Chelsea self at the Emirates Stadium.
His latest blunder against Chelsea prompted a need for a younger and hungrier goalkeeper for Arsenal and Arsene Wenger seems to have identified just the same in Leno.
Liverpool, on the other hand, have been the subject of a few goalkeeping horror shows this season. Simon Mignolet looked poor and new signing Loris Karius did little to alleviate the fears of the Kop army. Mignolet has since looked solid but his inconsistency is far too prominent for him to be considered a contender for the goalkeeping spot in the long run.
Klopp could use his German pull and perhaps the prospect of European football to lure Leno to Anfield. But, while Leverkusen may fail to qualify for Europe this season, Arsenal will be able to match the prospect of European football.
According to BILD, Bernd Leno who’s contract runs until 2020, has a €18m release clause at Bayer Leverkusen. pic.twitter.com/cC3U1OC0Um
— Home Bayern (@HomeBayern__) February 9, 2017
Inter Milan are in the reckoning too as the report states a fee of around €22 million would be sufficient to snatch the 24-year-old away from the Bay Arena. But, as per Bild, Leno’s contract contains a release clause of around €18 million, which could be activated by any of the interested parties.
In a market as inflated as ours, the aforementioned fee, be it the former or otherwise, looks like a steal for a keeper who has proven himself for the past few years as a formidable keeper. And who knows, the German international might just be next in line to make the switch to England.
