Arsenal have reportedly reached a shock ‘agreement’ with Bilal El Khannouss to join the club this summer and the Gunners are set for talks with Leicester to ‘finalise his transfer’.
El Khannouss joined Leicester from Genk for €22.5m [£19m] last August and was one of the (possible the only) shining light for the Foxes in a miserable campaign which saw them relegated and fall 13 points short of safety.
Operating in the No.10 position, El Khannouss managed just two goals and three assists for Leicester but caught the eye with his vision and outstanding technical ability.
The Moroccan was always likely to leave following the club’s relegation and now Africa Foot have confirmed that he has ‘reached a final agreement with Leicester for a departure this summer’.
It’s claimed he has been ‘forced to leave’ (by whom isn’t clear) in order keep his place in the Moroccan national team and maximise his chances of being present at the African Cup of Nations starting in December.
The report claims that ‘among the most serious courters is Arsenal’ who are ‘determined to take action’, and indeed have taken action.
It’s claimed an ‘agreement has been reached between Arsenal and the player’s agent’ and that ‘the Gunners must now align with Leicester City’s financial requirements to finalise the transfer of the Moroccan international’.
‘Mikel Arteta firmly believes in his potential and believes that he can become a key element of his midfield’, the report adds.
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The report comes as Arsenal also scour the market for a new midfielder to play behind El Khannouss should he join from Leicester.
Martin Zubimendi has agreed to the move after the Gunners triggered his £51m release clause, but PSG’s Warren Zaire-Emery and Barcelona’s Marc Casado are also on sporting director Andrea Berta’s radar with Thomas Partey set to follow Jorginho out of the Emirates.
Arteta is a huge fan of Partey and consistently stated his desire for him to stay as he neared the end of his contract, but the club chiefs now appear to have accepted he will leave the club.
CaughtOffside reported earlier this week that contract talks were ‘on the verge of collapse’, despite the Gunners being willing to offer the 32-year-old the exact same wage of £200,000 per week, with Partey asking for an unlikely pay rise.
Arsenal did not give in to the midfielder’s demands after he ‘informed the club that he will leave if no increased offer arrives’.
ESPN later reported that talks have indeed collapsed and Partey ‘will leave the club on June 30’ with negotiations over an extension ‘at a standstill’.