Arsenal and AS Roma have finally reached an agreement on a fee for Granit Xhaka’s transfer, according to a report from Italy.

LONDON, ENGLAND: Granit Xhaka of Arsenal during the Premier League match between Arsenal and Leicester City at Emirates Stadium on October 25, 2020. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND: Granit Xhaka of Arsenal during the Premier League match between Arsenal and Leicester City at Emirates Stadium on October 25, 2020. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)

Quotidiano report that AS Roma initially offered Arsenal €15m for Granit Xhaka, which was rejected. However, the turning point came after Roma upped their bid to €18m including some bonuses, which Arsenal reportedly deemed appropriate.

The player himself has also reached an agreement with Roma over a four-year contract of €2.5m per season plus various bonuses.

The Italian outlet claim the player is expected to sign the contract shortly, and all that remains is the official formalisations of the transfer.

There’s a slight conflict on the details here with the English media. Football.London report that Xhaka is signing a five-year deal, not four, and that the move is expected to cost in the region of €20m, not €18m.

But the two reports are clearly in the same ballpark, and they both agree that a transfer is now imminent.

Obviously, it’s a shame not to bring in more for a player who signed for £35m in the first place. The fact he only has a couple of years on his contract, his clear desire to leave, and the pandemic-affected market probably all played a part.

There’s also the fact he has a bit of a reputation for poor discipline and errors. But Xhaka was clearly a key player for Arsenal last season, and plenty of fans will be disappointed not to see him leaving for a bigger fee.