Arsenal don’t want to sanction the departure of Granit Xhaka until they’ve secured a replacement, according to a report from Germany.

It may have seemed like a formality last week, when reports suggested a deal was almost done and Granit Xhaka seemingly said his goodbyes to the Emirates Stadium, but Xhaka’s move to Bayer Leverkusen is currently on hold.

Kicker report that Arsenal and Bayer Leverkusen haven’t yet reached a full agreement over Xhaka’s transfer, with a couple of obstacles.

Arsenal are asking for €15m, but there’s no formal agreement on that fee at this stage.

To make matters more complicated, Kicker claim Arsenal would rather not see Xhaka leave until they’ve secured a significant midfield signing.

The Gunners are pursuing the likes of Declan Rice, Moises Caicedo, and Ilkay Gundogan, but all three are high-profile deals with top-quality competition. We may not have any assurances on any incomings for a while yet.

On personal terms, there are expected to be no problems. Reports last week suggested Xhaka would sign on a four-year deal, and Kicker claim only small details remain before his contract is ready.

Xhaka had initially hoped the deal would be done before the game against Wolves on Sunday, so he could say a proper goodbye at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.

“I think they (the fans) deserve [to know] and I do myself as well,” Xhaka said a week before the game.

“Of course, if next week we know much more what happen with my future, I will be thankful for the fans because how they treat me after this, I didn’t expect that if I am honest.

“I am thankful for that and I want to give them something back [for] maybe my last game on Sunday.”

Xhaka went on to score a brace in the Wolves game, and it seemed like a fitting farewell, even if Arsenal couldn’t officially make any announcements or give a formal farewell interview.

But the last part of the midfielder’s goodbye could be dragged out for a while yet.

Xhaka will take a cut to his salary to return to the Bundesliga, and Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso has reportedly had a very long talk with Xhaka, explaining his project for the coming years.

Leverkusen won’t be in the Champions League, after failing to win their Europa League semi-final against AS Roma, but they’re looking to complete a major summer rebuild. Xhaka looks to be a key part of that.