Arsenal's first piece of business this summer looks set to be saying goodbye to Granit Xhaka after seven years at Emirates Stadium. football.london understands that he is in advanced talks to seal a move to Bayer Leverkusen in a £13million deal and many exit hints have since been dropped by the man himself.
An imminent departure for Xhaka is surprising given how important he has been to Mikel Arteta's team this season. From 47 games played in all competitions, Xhaka has scored nine goals and notched seven assists which has seen him become crucial for the Gunners, both in front of goal and defensively.
Given how vital he is to Arteta, a replacement that can fill his shoes seamlessly must be identified and acquired this summer. Declan Rice and Moises Caicedo are considered to be holding midfield targets, while Mason Mount and Mohamed Kudus are the advanced options that have been linked with the Gunners.
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Mount has significant interest from elsewhere with Liverpool and Manchester United also in the race to sign the Chelsea star. However, a new name appears to have emerged on the radar of Arsenal who could certainly fill the void that would be left by Xhaka if he seals an exit.
According to the Mirror, Arsenal will battle it out for James Maddison's signature with Tottenham and Newcastle. Champions League football being on offer at Emirates Stadium and St James' Park does give both clubs an immediate advantage over Spurs, with all three wanting to bolster their midfield depth.
The report also adds he could leave the Foxes, who were relegated from the Premier League at the weekend, for around £40m. Leicester's valuation stands at more than £50m but their drop down to the Championship could see them lose any leverage.
A bidding war between all three clubs could help drive up his price, but Leicester seem condemned to losing their star man. Despite his creative nous being significantly better than his defensive work rate, Maddison could be the dream replacement for Xhaka to possibly form an exciting three-man midfield alongside Martin Odeegard and Declan Rice, if the Gunners complete the signing of their priority target.
Rice's ability to cover ground at a rapid rate could give Maddison and Odegaard more freedom to get forward and impact the final third. Emile Smith Rowe and Fabio Vieira are the current options in Xhaka's role already in north London and the duo's injury and form issues make signing a top class Xhaka replacement a new transfer priority.
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