Arsenal are close to agreeing a deal with another Premier League club as they look to offload an influential member of their first team.
According to an exclusive report from Sky Sports reporter, Florian Plettenburg, the Gunners goalkeeper, Bernd Leno, has agreed personal terms with Fulham.
❗️Exclusive News Bernd #Leno: Verbal agreement with Fulham about a contract until 2025 + 1 year optional. Now the clubs have to find an agreement. Arsenal demands around £10-11m transfer fee. Leno is the desired No. 1 of Fulham. He wants to join them. #FFC #Gunners @SkySportDE 🇩🇪
— Florian Plettenberg (@Plettigoal) July 7, 2022
The move hardly comes as a surprise to many of us, with it being clear since January that Leno would be packing his bags with Arsenal very happy to let him do so.
Following a season where Aaron Ramsey comfortably secured his spot as Mikel Arteta’s first choice between the sticks, Leno is now just days away from completing his move.
Fulham have had the 30-year-old at the top of their shopping list since the window opened, with Leno said to be keen on the switch due to the ability to stay living in London.
The Premier League’s new boys have held discussions with the German over multiple weeks and now look to have struck a deal, with just a transfer fee to agree on.
Leno has been a superb servant to the Gunners over the last four years, but with just a year left on his contract and pushing for a move, Arsenal will struggle to negotiate a big transfer fee.
Arsenal paid £22.5m for Leno when they bought him back in 2018 from Bayer Leverkusen, and he’s since gone on to make 101 appearances in the Premier League.
That level of experience is exactly what Fulham will receive, whilst Arsenal will look to immediately replace Leno’s number 2 spot with new arrival Matt Turner.
Both goalkeepers are currently out in Germany as Arsenal prepare to take on FC Nurnberg on Friday afternoon, with Arteta likely to need both Turner and third choice keeper Arthur Okowonko.
It remains to be seen whether Leno will get any more minutes in an Arsenal shirt, but he will leave the club with best wishes from the majority of the fanbase.