Arsenal & Liverpool Face Battle To Sign £22m Star, Terms Agreed Over Possible Move

The summer transfer window is open and managers are working hard on their transfer targets so we’ll bring you all the latest gossip from around the globe. Today, the latest on Bernd Leno…

Arsenal and Liverpool face a battle to sign Bernd Leno after the Bayer Leverkusen goalkeeper expressed his desire to join Napoli this summer, according to CalcioMercato.

Leno has developed in to one of the most consistent keepers in German football since joining Leverkusen from Stuttgart in 2011 and he kept 10 clean sheets in his 33 Bundesliga games last season. The 26-year-old has also earned 6 caps for the German national team but he narrowly missed out on a place in their World Cup squad with Joachim Low opting for Manuel Neuer, Andre Ter Stegen, and Kevin Trapp.

His promising performances between the sticks have led to interest from the Premier League with with Arsenal and Liverpool both strongly linked with a move in recent months as Unai Emery and Jurgen Klopp look to strengthen their goalkeeping options ahead of next season.

Arsenal are in the market for a long-term replacement for Petr Cech – who’s now 36-years-old – and the Daily Star reported last week that the Gunners had been given the green light to sign Leno after Leverkusen confirmed he could leave if a club met their demands.

Liverpool are also on the look out for a new number one as Simon Mignolet is set to leave after falling out of favour while Loris Karius’ future is in doubt following his two costly errors during the Champions League final defeat to Real Madrid.

The Mirror claimed recently that Liverpool had tabled a £22m bid for Leno – which is close to his release clause – after identifying him as a cheaper alternative to the likes of Alisson Becker and Jan Oblak.

However, it looks like Arsenal and Liverpool face a battle to lure Leno to England as CalcioMercato cite a report from Corriere dello Sport that claims the goalkeeper has expressed his desire to join Napoli to replace Pepe Reina.

The Italian publication says the German star has already agreed terms over a move to the Stadio San Paolo and he’s just waiting for Napoli to settle on a fee with Leverkusen before completing his switch to Italy.

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The good news is, until a deal is agreed between the two clubs there is still time for Arsenal and Liverpool to sign Leno, but it looks like the keeper’s preference is a move to Naples this summer.