Emil Forsberg’s agent, Hasan Cetinkaya, is planning talks with RB Leipzig sporting director Ralf Rangnick over his client’s future, before the World Cup.
The information comes from reports in Germany, courtesy of Bild. They write that right now it’s unclear whether Forsberg will return to Leipzig after the World Cup or not. A meeting is planned to discuss a possible move, and the Bundesliga club is already looking at replacements.
Forsberg himself previously suggested he just wanted to focus on the World Cup for now. However, he also admitted he could move on this summer. When asked whether he was ready for a club change, he responded: “Absolutely. But as I said, it’s not something I put any focus on now. I have full focus on the national team.”
Perhaps that really is the case, but it seems his agent is working hard on a possible move behind the scenes.
Earlier this week we reported on claims that Cetinkaya has already held several meetings with Arsenal. If the agent is now preparing to talk to Leipzig, that suggests they’re making some progress.
On the other hand, the German club reportedly won’t accept an offer of less than £50m. We’ll have to see whether Arsenal are prepared to spend that much on a player who scored five goals and provided four assists this season.
My feeling is that it would only happen if Arsenal also made a fairly high-profile sale. Aaron Ramsey is only a year from the end of his contract, so if he left, maybe it’s something the club would go for. For now, it’s still early stages in these talks.