Arsenal ask Bundesliga club to improve offer for 30-year-old star - Reports

According to the Mirror, Arsenal want Bayer Leverkusen to improve their offer for Granit Xhaka. The Gunners want Leverkusen to pay €20 million for the Swiss midfielder.

Xhaka has been a longstanding player of the club. The 30-year-old joined the north London club in 2016 and has made 297 appearances across competitions, scoring 23 goals and providing 29 assists.

Xhaka was once again pivotal in the 2022-23 season. He had a fabulous campaign as the Gunners finished second in the Premier League, bagging nine goals and seven assists in 47 games across competitions. However, Xhaka might be on his way out of the club in the summer. Leverkusen are interested in the player as manager Xabi Alonso looks to improve his team.

Leverkusen are looking to secure a cut-price deal and seal Xhaka's signing for €15 million. The Gunners, though, want the Bundesliga club to improve their offer to €20 million.

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Journalist says Declan Rice to join Arsenal

With Xhaka set to leave, the Gunners are looking to bolster their midfield. They have turned their attention to Declan Rice as a potential replacement. The Englishman looks set to arrive from West Ham United for £105 million.

Journalist Rudy Galletti has said that Rice's transfer is already a done deal. Providing an update on the same, he told GiveMeSport:

"Declan Rice to Arsenal, it's a done deal — just the final details on the payment structure that are under discussion. West Ham accepted the last bid of Arsenal set at £105m, £100m fixed and £5m as add-ons, and medicals are expected in the next few days."

Rice was a key player for West Ham and captained them to the UEFA Europea Conference League triumph in the recently concluded season. He's one of the most technical and intelligent players in his position, so Gunners fans could be set for exciting times ahead.

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