Arsenal are expected to announce the signing of Bayer Leverkusen goalkeeper Bernd Leno on Tuesday, according to an exclusive from SportBild.
The German shot-stopper has been tipped for a Gunners move since the end of the 2017/18 season and his non-involvement at the World Cup appears to have quickened the transfer proceedings.
As per SportBild, the north London giants are said to have agreed on a fee between €20m and €25m for the 26-year-old after his release clause expired.
It is added that Leno is now on the cusp of a Gunners move and the deal could be announced by the end of Tuesday, provided he goes through the necessary medical tests.
The length of the proposed contract has yet to be revealed but according to widespread reports, it is suggested that Leno is likely to put pen-to-paper on a five-year deal.
Leno, who has been with Leverkusen for the past seven seasons, was regarded as the prime target for Napoli last summer but the deal was scuppered after his club failed to find a replacement.
However, this time around, Leverkusen have managed to sign Lukas Hradecky on a free transfer from Augsburg and this has enhanced the Gunners’ pursuit of Leno after he snubbed a fresh approach from Napoli.
Leno’s arrival is likely to drop Petr Cech into the back-up keeper role and it will be interesting to see whether the 36-year-old will accept the position.
The former Czech international is supposedly attracting interest from Napoli and he could be tempted to join the Serie A giants with the assurance of regular gametime.
Meanwhile, the future of David Ospina is likewise unclear beyond the summer but the Colombia is unlikely to entertain the prospect of being the third choice beyond Leno and Cech next term.
