Arsenal are lining up a summer move for Schalke midfielder Leon Goretzka, though face stiff competition from Bayern Munich for a player who only has one year left on his contract.
Ironically, the two clubs did battle on the pitch on Wednesday as Arsenal claimed a penalty shootout victory in Shanghai, and they could be about to land another blow if Arsene Wenger gets his way.
According to SportBild, the French coach has been secretly watching Goretzka for months and hopes to sign him before the window closes, though striking a deal with Schake will be very difficult.
Although the 22-year-old will be free to negotiate a pre-contract agreement with other clubs come January, the German side are willing to risk losing him for nothing rather than sell him now.
That would suit Bayern perfectly, who are believed to have already sounded out the player’s camp about a switch to the Allianz Arena – not dissimilarly to how they have secured deals for the likes of Robert Lewandowski previously.
But Wenger is a huge fan of the midfielder, whose dynamism and power was on full display as he helped Germany win the Confederations Cup, and is ready to test Schalke’s resolve.
Sporting director Christian Heidel insists the club will not be bullied into selling, though an offer that exceeds €30 million (£26.5m) could be enough to persuade them otherwise.
Arsenal and Bayern are not the only clubs interested in Goretzka, with Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp a long-time admirer and Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola blown away by his displays in Russia at the Confederations Cup.
Goretzka was one of the players of the tournament, scoring three times including a quick-fire double against Mexico in the semi-final.
That earned him both the Silver Boot (as the second highest scorer in the competition) and the Bronze Ball (for third best player) behind another Arsenal player, Alexis Sanchez, and Julian Draxler.
Schalke have offered the powerhouse midfielder an €8m-a-year salary to try and ward off the growing number of suitors, though he believes €10m is the minimum he should be earning.
Goretzka did not travel with the rest of the Schalke squad to China for their pre-season tour after being given additional time off following his exploits for the national team over the summer.
Bayern remain his likeliest destination, but the prospect of preventing their star player from joining a major domestic rival could be enough to convince Schalke to listen to Arsenal’s offer.
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