Arsenal are closely monitoring Bayer Leverkusen centre-forward Christian Kofane ahead of a summer move to the Emirates Stadium, according to Florian Plettenberg.
The 19-year-old made his first move to Europe when he joined Albacete Balompié from Cameroonian side AS Nylon in 2024. He then enjoyed a breakout 2024/25 campaign in Spain, scoring eight goals in 20 matches after the winter break — form that attracted interest from multiple clubs before Leverkusen won the race for his signature last summer.
Since arriving at BayArena, Kofane has become one of the most exciting attacking talents in Germany, scoring seven goals and assisting eight in all competitions.
Supporters of Arsenal caught a glimpse of his quality during the UEFA Champions League round of 16, where he consistently troubled William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhães. In the first leg at BayArena, he won the most fouls and created three key passes.
In the return fixture, despite being tightly marked throughout, the 6ft 2in forward still completed 88.9% of his passes, underlining his composure and ability to perform under pressure.
Now, according to Plettenberg, Kofane’s performances piqued the interest of Arsenal, and the Gunners are now closely monitoring him ahead of a possible move to the Emirates Stadium.
Amid interest from the North London club, the German journalist adds that Leverkusen have placed a valuation between £52 and £61m, with the 6ft 2in forward also drawing interest from Real Madrid and other Premier League clubs.
‘Genuine’ interest
In a new development, Kofane’s agent, Eric Depolo, speaking via DTalkingArsenal, confirmed Plettengerg‘s report of Arsenal’s interest in the youngster and added that contacts have been made with the Gunners regarding the centre-forward’s transfer.
He said, ‘Yes, Arsenal’s interest is genuine.’ Mikel Arteta likes him very much (…) There is contact between me and Arsenal. But their focus right now is on winning the league. After that, everything will start to move. ‘He is a €100 million player. With Kofane, Arsenal will have a top striker for the next 10 years.’
Arsenal made major attacking investments last summer, bringing in Viktor Gyökeres from Sporting to strengthen Mikel Arteta’s frontline.
However, despite netting 16 goals in all competitions, it remains evident that the Sweden international has not yet reached his peak form, while injuries to Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus for much of the campaign have exposed a lack of depth in attack.
If Arsenal are to compete across all competitions next season, strengthening their centre-forward options will be essential, and Kofane has shown in his performances this season that he could be a strong fit for that role.
