Arsenal To Steal March On Tottenham By Tabling £21m Bid For Bundesliga Star

Managers are now pressing ahead with their plans for the summer transfer window so we’ll bring you all the latest news and gossip from around the globe. Today, Arsenal are linked with Leon Goretzka…

Arsenal are ready to steal a march on rivals Tottenham by tabling a formal £21m bid for Schalke midfielder Leon Goretzka, according to reports in Germany via TeamTalk.

Goretzka joined Schalke from boyhood club Bochum in 2013 and has developed in to one of the best central midfielders in German football over the past few years.

The 22-year-old has just come off the back of an excellent individual campaign, despite Schalke enduring a disappointing season, and he’s now a regular in the German national team squad having previously represented his country at youth level.

The box-to-box midfielder has attracted interest from here in the Premier League with TeamTalk citing reports coming out of Germany that claim Arsenal and Tottenham are among the clubs to have registered their interest this summer.

However, it looks like the Gunners are ready to steal a march on their north London rivals as the report goes on to state that Arsene Wenger is set to formalise his interest with a £21m offer.

The Arsenal boss is gearing-up for a defining summer as he looks to rebuild his squad after missing out on the top four last season for the first time in 20 years and it seems Goretzka has emerged as a prime target.

Wenger needs to strengthen his midfield due to on-going concerns over Santi Cazorla and if the Gunners were successful in getting a deal agreed then Goretzka would offer competition to the likes of Aaron Ramsey in the starting eleven.

It remains to be seen whether Spurs will step-up their interest when they hear about Arsenal’s plans but Mauricio Pochettino is also being tipped to further strengthen his squad ahead of Tottenham’s return to the Champions League and Goretzka is seemingly on his radar.

However, it looks like the north London duo may have their work cut out trying to persuade Schalke to do business as the club’s general manager Christian Heidel has insisted they wont sell the midfielder this summer.

Heidel is quoted as saying by TeamTalk:

“Leon won’t be allowed to change clubs this summer. He will remain at Schalke beyond this summer.”

READ MORE –> Arsenal transfer news | Spurs transfer news

We’ll have to wait and see how things develop over the coming weeks but I think Goretzka has all the attributes needed to be a success in the Premier League so feel he’d be a great signing for Arsenal or Spurs if they could get a deal agreed.