Arteta enters ‘frenzy’ to sign €80m Bayern Munich ‘killer’
Arsenal, Manchester City and Chelsea are all expressing interest in future German superstar Lennart Karl, according to a report, and the Bayern Munich ace already knows which club he wants to join.
Karl is the world’s most valuable 17-year-old, having made his debut for Bayern at the Club World Cup in June. The attacking midfielder is having an exceptional campaign at Bayern and has recorded seven goals and three assists in 28 appearances so far.
This included a Champions League goal against Arsenal, although Bayern were ultimately beaten 3-1 at the Emirates.
Karl has been branded “really dangerous” and a player with a “killer” instinct by Bayern boss Vincent Kompany.
The Bavarians view Karl as a key player in their future success, although other elite clubs are starting to take notice.
According to a German source Football datesthere is a “frenzy of recognition” for the teenager, seen as Bayern’s “crown jewel”.
Arsenal are close to signing Karl, having repeatedly sent scouts to monitor him in the Champions League this season. But they are not the only ones wanting to bring him to the Premier League, as Man City and Chelsea are also keen to complete what would be a blockbuster deal.
Despite interest from some of England’s most illustrious clubs, Real Madrid are considered the favorites in the pursuit of Karl. The German U21 ace has already expressed his desire to play for Madrid, saying: “FC Bayern is a very big club. It’s a dream to play there. But at some point I definitely want to go to Real Madrid.
“It (Madrid) is my dream club, but let’s keep this between us.”
Bayern want to tie Karl to a new contract and have given him a price tag of €80-90m (£69-77.5m/$95-$106m) to try to deter suitors.
Get the inside story first by joining our TEAMtalk Facebook channel to receive exclusive breaking news straight to your Messenger inbox.
Arsenal hunt down two Bayern stars
Kompany reportedly considers the youngster a “magical” element of his attacking setup and under no circumstances wants to lose him.
Interestingly, this isn’t the first time Arsenal have been linked with Karl. It first emerged in October that they had sent officials to Germany to watch it live.
Additionally, German outlet Picture were the first to report that Arsenal were expressing interest in the prodigy’s arrival.
It is worth noting that Karl called Arsenal skipper – and former Madrid player – Martin Odegaard, a footballing “idol”.
Karl isn’t the only Bayern ace Arsenal are keeping an eye on. Our transfer correspondent, Fraser Fletcher, revealed on December 1 that the Gunners were preparing the ground for the sensational signing of Michael Olise.
Arsenal transfer news: Tonali latest news; miss revealed
Meanwhile, Arsenal will have to fend off at least two Premier League rivals to bring in Sandro Tonali from Newcastle United, according to a report.
Sources have confirmed to us that Arsenal held late negotiations to sign a Spanish midfield gem on deadline day.
But they did not push hard enough to complete the deal, which saw a European giant win the race for the 20-year-old.