Why Arsenal need to go all in on Leverkusen's €50m talisman
FT Desk
- 31 Mar 2022 20:22 BST
- 7 min read
Arsenal's search for a new striker seems to be rumbling on with little success, as the club goes from one prospective talisman to another.
The club bitterly missed out on Fiorentina striker Dusan Vlahovic in January when he opted for a move to Juventus instead and it seems unlikely that they’ll be able to tempt Alexander Isak or Dominic Calvert-Lewin to the club in the summer either, as bigger clubs take a serious interest in their talents.
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However, one striker that has had his name linked with a move to Arsenal and could still be an option this summer is none other than Bayer Leverkusen target man Patrik Schick.
Like the aforementioned strikers, he is also an impressive goalscorer and ready to test himself at a higher level. But, unlike the others, he could be obtainable this summer.
How much will Schick cost?
As things currently stand, Schick’s value at Leverkusen stands at €23 million and could technically cost as much as €29 million, according to FootballTransfers’ algorithm. However, in reality the player would be far more expensive.
Not only is the Czech Republic international a Bundesliga star, but he has also been heavily linked with a move to either Borussia Dortmund or Bayern Munich, if either domestic rival loses their key striker this summer.
On top of that, Leverkusen have made it perfectly clear that they have no intention of selling Schick this summer. "No, we will not sell Patrik Schick. There is no need to talk about that at all," club CEO Fernando Carro explained to Sky Germany.
"We are very happy that he is with us, and we firmly count on him for the next few years."
As such, Schick would likely cost Arsenal something closer to €50m if they hoped to sign him this summer.
Is he worth it?
Although Schick had a hard time of it at RB Leipzig and Roma, he has undoubtedly found his feet at Leverkusen and quickly become one of the best strikers in German football as a result.
Over the course of 60 games for the club, Schick has bagged an impressive 33 goals and five assists. Which works out at an even more impressive 0.85 goals and assists per 90 minutes for the Bundesliga side.
Indeed, Schick has been so impressive for Leverkusen this season that despite missing seven league games this season, he’s still the second top goal scorer in the German top flight, behind only Robert Lewandowski.
