Arsenal are reportedly demanding a transfer fee of £11 million from Fulham to allow Bernd Leno to join the Cottagers this summer.
According to Sky Germany journalist Florian Plettenberg, Arsenal have slapped an £11 million price tag on wantaway goalkeeper Bernd Leno, who is a transfer target for London rivals Fulham.
Leno joined Arsenal from German outfit Bayer Leverkusen in the summer of 2018 and soon became the first-choice goalkeeper at the Emirates Stadium. However, the 30-year-old ace fell down the pecking order last season after the Gunners brought in Aaron Ramsdale, who took over as the No. 1 for Mikel Arteta’s side.
Leno has just a year left on his contract at Arsenal and is keen on leaving in search of regular game-time. The north Londoners are open to selling the German international, having already brought in a replacement in the form of Matt Turner.
With Leno now on the exit ramp, Fulham have shown an interest in signing the 30-year-old shot-stopper. The Cottagers are back in the Premier League after triumphing in the EFL Championship. And they are looking to add players with experience in the top-flight to ensure they retain their status as a top-tier outfit.
Andreas Pereira has recently arrived from Manchester United, and Fulham are now pushing to sign Leno from Arsenal. Recent reports indicate that the Cottagers already have a verbal agreement over personal terms with the German international, who feels settled in London and wants to stay in the English capital.
However, Arsenal’s demands for Leno are seemingly slowing down the deal at the time. As per the update from Florian Plettenberg, the Gunners are holding out for a sum of £11 million for the German goalkeeper, which Marco Silva’s side deem a bit too high and are unwilling to pay at the moment.
However, negotiations between the two clubs are still ongoing, and Leno hopes that an agreement can be reached as he wants to join Fulham before the transfer window closes. If he joins, Leno would be an upgrade on Fulham’s current goalkeeping options in Marek Rodak and Paulo Gazzaniga. But as things stand, an agreement is yet to be reached, with talks still taking place with Arsenal.
