Arsenal are eyeing a move for Bayer Leverkusen attacking midfielder Ibrahim Maza, according to reports in the German media.
Fussballdaten.com claim that the Gunners see the 20-year-old as an “ideal” replacement for Martin Odegaard, if the Norwegian does leave the Emirates this summer.
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Maza is also attracting interest from Manchester City, and his agent is believed to have held discussions with several teams already.
Fussballdaten report that the Algerian’s representative had “preliminary talks” in London and Madrid last month.
Leverkusen have set their asking price
Maza’s current club only signed the player from Hertha Berlin for €12m last yearr, but after just one season in the Bundesliga, they are now demanding a fee between €55m (£48m) and €60m (£52m), including performance-related add-ons.
It has been suggested that both Arsenal and City have proposed bids in the region of €40m (£35m), but those offers were swiftly rejected by Leverkusen.
Maza is clearly a player in high demand, and he certainly has a promising future ahead of him, having reached double figures for goal involvements (5 goals and 6 assists) in all competitions this campaign despite only turning 20 in November.
Does Odegaard have a future at Arsenal?
While this report suggests that the Gunners are actively looking for a replacement for their captain, it is by no means guaranteed that the Norwegiann international will be leaving this summer.
It is true that Odegaard is closing in on the final two years of his contract, and that has raised speculation about his long-term future, but reliable sources suggest he isn’t among the five players that the club are looking to move on at the end of the season.
Gabriel Jesus, Gabriel Martinelli, Ben White, Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly are the names on the chopping block.
Read more about the Arsenal First Team Squad for 2025/26 here