Schalke have made one last effort to keep midfielder Leon Goretzka at the club, offering him a club-record contract to stay, according to reports in Germany.

Arsenal have repeatedly been linked with Leon Goretzka, as the 22-year-old moves towards the end of his current deal in Germany.

Schalke reportedly won’t let the player leave in January, but now it seems they’re hoping to convince him to stay through the summer as well, or at least to get some money when he goes.

That’s according to Bild, who write that Schalke are offering the German a new contract worth £10.75m a year, when bonuses are included. They also apparently want to include a release clause between £35.8m and £53.8m.

This could be convincing to the midfielder, because it wouldn’t stop him leaving if a top club wanted him badly enough. It would also stop his current club missing out on a fee.

Bayern and Barcelona are also reported to be interested, and either club presumably has sufficient funds to afford that kind of transfer fee, so he wouldn’t be putting them off by agreeing a new deal.

However, the Gunners might have more of an issue paying so much for a player who isn’t proven in England or the Champions League. So, for Arsenal’s sake, we better hope he turns it down.