Ensuring a strong relationship with a club is all part of a sporting director’s job and Arsenal representative, Edu Gaspar, has certainly built an ever-growing network of clubs and intermediaries to aid in the Gunners’ squad building. This summer has seen some major movement in regard to incomings with Kai Havertz already signed and an agreement with West Ham to buy Declan Rice in a record deal football.london understands.
However, it was regarding outgoings that the Brazilian would be scrutinised perhaps most of all this summer after a lengthy list of exits has come at little-to-no financial benefit to the club. In some cases, like with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Mesut Ozil, Shkodran Mustafi and Sead Kolasinac, the club have had to agree on the termination of their contracts.
Yet the summer of 2023 has got off to a significantly better start with the potential sale of Granit Xhaka. Despite early suggestions of a £13million fee with Bayer Leverkusen being agreed, football.london understands that the Swiss international is now set to move for £21.5million instead.
