FC Schalke 04 are ready to make their German midfielder Leon Goretzka the highest paid player at the club to ensure he signs a new contract and stays at the Veltins-Arena. A recent report by the Daily Mirror has suggested that the Bundesliga club are willing to make the German the highest-paid player in their history in their attempts to keep hold of the 22-year-old. This development comes as a blow for some of Europe’s heavyweights which include Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool, Barcelona and Bayern Munich.
Arsenal are among a whole host of clubs tracking his situation at FC Schalke 04 and want to make a move for the Bundesliga midfielder when his contract expires at the end of the season. However, the German club are ready to make him their highest earner by offering a weekly salary of £150,000 which will include bonuses worth £1.75million a year. The Bundesliga outfit are also prepared to add a £50m buy-out clause in his contract to ensure they don’t lose him on the cheap.
The Daily Mirror has recently claimed that the Gunners’ boss Arsene Wenger has made Goretzka his number one midfield target for the summer transfer window. With Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez set to leave the North Londoners in the near future, the 22-year-old FC Schalke 04 player would have been a perfect addition to the Gunners’ first-team but any potential deal will now hinge on whether the player signs the new contract with his current club.
All interested clubs can begin negotiations with the player when the transfer window opens on January 1 with his current club having already made a concrete offer to retain his services. It remains to be seen whether the player decides to stay but it is expected that FC Schalke 04 will try to sell him in January rather than lose him for free in the summer.
Leon Goretzka has built a reputation for being one of the brightest young prospects in Bundesliga and has earned rave reviews for his skills and technique from a number of experts from all over Europe.
The German has made 11 appearances for FC Schalke 04 in this campaign, scoring 4 goals and providing one assist. The Bochum born player is a young midfielder who’s stock is on the rise and he can fulfil his potential to be world class in the next few years. And it is no wonder that some of Europe’s top clubs are lining up to secure his services with the German set to enter his peak years.
