Arsenal may have to reevaluate their plans for the summer transfer window, after a leading European side confirmed their intention to raise the release clause of one of the Gunner’s prime targets.
The north London side have been widely attributed with an interest in Atletico Madrid goalkeeper Jan Oblak in recent months, as they seek a new first-choice goalkeeper at the Emirates Stadium, but the LaLiga giants are desperate to retain his services.
Arsenal would have to pay a hefty £87m sum to land the Slovakia international due to his release-clause in the Spanish capital and that figure could now be raised further, with an Atletico official confirming the club’s desire to increase the release-clause.
Speaking to Cadena Cope after Atletico’s Europa League final victory over Marseille, chief executive Miguel Angel Gil Marin confirmed the club are planning to raise Oblak’s release-clause during contract negotiations.
“We’re going to try to increase Oblak’s clause, but what we have to do is trust him. We know he wants to stay and we want him to stay.”
Oblak has become of the the best goalkeeper’s in world football after joining Diego Simeone’s side from Benfica in 2014 and Arsenal are unlikely to be alone in their interest.
However, the Gunners will have to look elsewhere and it’s understood Bayer Leverkusen’s Bernd Leno is now Arsenal’s prime target between the sticks.
