Arsenal are ready to cash in on Bernd Leno for just €15 million next summer, with Inter Milan interested in his services.
Football journalist Rudy Galetti has recently offered an update on Inter Milan’s pursuit of a new goalkeeper. The reigning Italian champions are scouting multiple options, with Bernd Leno appearing to be one of them.
It appears Arsenal themselves are ready to offload Leno next summer, for a fee of just €15 million. The summer arrival of Aaron Ramsdale has left the German international in a precarious position, with the goalkeeper losing his status as the club’s number one choice in between the sticks.
Leno had initially started the season with a streak of three consecutive Premier League defeats. But the introduction of Ramsdale has since changed the club’s fortunes with head coach Mikel Arteta even hailing the former Sheffield United shot-stopper shortly after the first win over Norwich City.
Inter Milan, though, are not deterred by Leno’s recent struggles at Emirates and consider him to be a potential long-term replacement for the ageing Samir Handanovic. The Croat has certainly lost his grace, meaning it is time for Simone Inzaghi to move on, as far as the goalkeeping department is concerned.
Bernd Leno proves to be an appealing option due to his significant experience at the highest level of football. The 29-year-old has made 100 Premier League appearances during his time at Arsenal while he had also featured in over 300 competitive matches for his previous club, Bayer Leverkusen.
His wealth of experience could be useful for an Inter Milan side, who might be preparing for a potential defensive overhaul. While Handanovic is soon expected to move on, the Nerazzurri are facing a battle to keep hold of their key defenders like Milan Skriniar, with Real Madrid reportedly reigniting their interest.
As for Arsenal, they wouldn’t mind offloading Leno as it would free up some valuable budget in the defensive unit. Incidentally, the Gunners are interested in Andre Onana, who is another potential candidate for Inter Milan.
It does make the saga all the more interesting, though it remains to be seen whether the Serie A giants agree to meet Arsenal’s €15 million valuation, especially knowing they can get Onana for free as his current contract at Ajax expires at the end of the season.
