According to a report from football london, Granit Xhaka’s transfer to Bayer Leverkusen is getting closer, and Arsenal is set to receive an increased transfer fee of approximately £21.5 million for the midfielder’s services. Arsenal is prepared to let Xhaka leave once they finalize a £105 million deal for Declan Rice, the current captain of West Ham.

Bayer Leverkusen is eagerly awaiting Arsenal’s approval to proceed with the transfer. Initially, Leverkusen was hoping for a bargain deal and rumors suggested a fee around £13 million. However, Arsenal’s technical director, Edu Gasper, has managed to negotiate more favorable terms for the club, resulting in a transfer fee of over £20 million.

Xhaka previously spent four years at Borussia Monchengladbach, where he captained the team in 2015, before moving to Arsenal in the summer of 2016 for £34 million. During his seven-year tenure at Arsenal, the Swiss midfielder has experienced a rollercoaster of emotions, transitioning from being the captain to an outcast and then making a sensational redemption last season.

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Manager Mikel Arteta played a crucial role in convincing Xhaka to stay at the club and integrated him into both the team and the dressing room. Despite allowing Xhaka to leave once Rice joins, Arteta remains a huge admirer of the midfielder’s abilities on and off the pitch. However, Arsenal intends to offload players to create space in their squad for high-quality additions that can elevate the team to the next level.

In addition to Rice, there are reports of interest from Juventus and other clubs in Ghanaian midfielder Thomas Partey. This suggests that Rice may not be the only midfield signing for Arsenal this summer. The Gunners are also linked with Romeo Lavia and Moises Caicedo as potential further midfield additions.