Christian Kofane to Arsenal: Arsenal lead £86m race for Leverkusen starlet Christian Kofane
Christian Kofane to Arsenal: The summer transfer window does strange things to people. Take Eric Depolo, for instance. He is the man tasked with looking after Christian Kofane, the 19-year-old Bayer Leverkusen forward who has suddenly become the name on everyone’s lips at the Emirates. Depolo has spent the last week talking up his client to anyone with a notebook and a microphone, slapped a €100m (£86m) price tag on the lad’s head, and practically picked out his shirt number in North London.
“Yes, Arsenal‘s interest is genuine,” Depolo said, remarkably relaxed about the whole thing. “The manager is very taken with him. Given that the player speaks Spanish, just like Mikel Arteta, and that William Saliba is originally from Cameroon, I’d say Arsenal have the best chance.”
It is a bold strategy. Kofane is young. Seriously young. But those who watched him lead the line against Gabriel and Saliba during Leverkusen’s Champions League exit against the Gunners back in March will understand why Arteta is intrigued. He didn’t score that night. Didn’t matter. The raw attributes were all on display: the pace, the power, the sheer single-mindedness. Sporting director Andrea Berta is handling the background checks. He is in constant dialogue with the player’s camp, trying to map out a deal that works for a club that has spent heavily in recent windows. (Via Metro)
Newcastle and Everton enter the fray
Then came Newcastle. Because of course they did. Eddie Howe’s side need firepower, and they have the money to make Leverkusen stop and think. But the word from Germany, via Bild, is that Kofane isn’t exactly sold on Tyneside. No Champions League football at St James’ Park is the major sticking point. Why leave a club playing at Europe’s top table for one sitting out entirely? To complicate matters further, Everton have apparently lodged a formal bid. Africa Foot claim the Toffees are the first to actually put money on the table, though the exact figure is being kept quiet for now. Good luck to them.
The numbers behind Kofane’s rise explain the sudden scramble. Across 29 Bundesliga appearances last season, the teenager managed five goals and four assists, but it is the physical output that really has scouts drooling. He covered 151.6 km in total distance and clocked a blistering top speed of 34.85 km/h. Twelve months ago, Leverkusen paid just €5.25m to snatch him from Spanish second-tier outfit Albacete, where he managed eight goals in 20 games. That fee looks absolutely ridiculous now.
Read: Arsenal and Liverpool ready for transfer war to sign £70m French World Cup star
Leverkusen holds all the cards here. The player is locked down on a contract until 2029, meaning Xabi Alonso’s side can demand the earth and wait for someone to pay it. Whisper it, but a bid closer to €70m (£60m) might actually do the trick, despite the public posturing from his agent. Arteta won’t be held to ransom, mind. His immediate priority remains out wide, with Morgan Rogers and Bradley Barcola high on the wishlist. Kofane is a project. A long-term investment meant to eventually fill the shoes of someone like Viktor Gyökeres rather than a player expected to hit the ground running on the August opening day. Leverkusen will have to decide how long they want to hold out.
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