Arsenal have not accepted the first bid of Fulham for signing Bernd Leno this season.
This was reported by CBS Sport’s James Benge.
The 30-year-old has only one year left on his current contract with Arsenal. Moreover, it seems that he is desperate to join the newly promoted Premier League club Fulham. The German international has even agreed on personal terms with Fulham. However, now it seems that Arsenal would not bow down to any negotiations than the demand they have put forward.
The Gunners want to squeeze out as much money as they can from their now third-choice goalkeeper. The Benge reports that Arsenal have rejected Fulham’s initial bid of £ 10 million. They have put forward a deal of £15m in a counter-proposal. There is currently a thaw in the talks. However, the deal has not fallen off completely.
Leno could be key to Fulham’s bid for survival in the Premier League this season
Leno, playing for Arsenal over the years has garnered immense Premier League experience. He has 101 Premier League appearances under his name.
Though, the sore point in that glittering set of statistics is the number of clean sheets. He has been successful in keeping only 27 clean sheets during his time in the Emirates. However, he was well known for making eye-popping saves.
It was not his saves but his under-par distribution that led Arteta to sign Ramsdale last year. Therefore, it is up to Fulham to improve upon its initial offer. Moreover, by securing a promotion thrice within a period of five years they would have ample funds.
If Leno could be signed he would play a key role in their bid for survival in the Premier League for another season. Fulham are slated to improve on its initial offer in the coming week. They would not want to miss out on another goalkeeper in the current transfer window.
Thomas Strakosha was their initial goalkeeper target who was on a free transfer. However, personal terms could not be reached with him.
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