Arsenal transfer blow as Bayer Leverkusen chief confirms German club will NOT sell Patrik Schick for ‘next few years’
BAYER LEVERKUSEN have dealt Arsenal a blow by insisting they will NOT sell Patrick Schick this summer.
The Gunners are reportedly one of five Premier League sides interested in the Czech Republic striker.
Manchester City, Spurs, West Ham and Everton are all monitoring Schick, 26.
But it’s Arsenal who are said to be leading the race after losing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in January.
Fellow forwards Alexandre Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah look set to follow suit when their contracts expire at the end of the season.
And Mikel Arteta desperately needs a goalscorer to boost Arsenal’s hopes of silverware – especially if they return to the Champions League for the first time since 2017.
But CEO Fernando Carro has delivered a stark hands-off warning to Arsenal, as well as any other side thinking about launching a bid for Schick.
He said: “No, we’re not going to sell Patrik Schick, so there is no need to talk at all.
“He feels very comfortable with us. We count on him in planning for the next few years.”
Former Roma and RB Leipzig ace Schick has scored 20 goals in as many Bundesliga games this season.
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As a result, Leverkusen are third in the table and looking to compete with Europe’s best next term.
But with the good times returning to the BayArena, Leverkusen are in no rush to sell their top talents.
Arsenal do have other irons in the fire should they be unable to prise Schick away from Germany.
Benfica ace Darwin Nunez is on Arteta’s shortlist after scoring 20 times this season.
Real Sociedad’s Alexander Isak and Everton’s Dominic Calvert-Lewin are also of interest to the Gunners.