The transfer poker for Granit Xhaka enters the next round. Is the national team captain too expensive for AC Milan? Or are there no negotiations between the clubs? For father Ragip Xhaka, the case seems clear.
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- Rumors have been doing the rounds for weeks that Granit Xhaka is flirting with a move to AC Milan.
- According to media reports, however, the Serie A club's interest has cooled recently because the national team captain is said to be too expensive.
- Father Ragip now contradicts this and says on a Kosovan TV station: "Milan want Granit."
The back and forth about a possible move for Granit Xhaka is entering the next round. For weeks, the former Leverkusen player has been linked with a possible move to AC Milan. According to media reports, the national team captain has already agreed a three-year contract with the Serie A club.
However, the 32-year-old is now said to be too expensive for Milan. According to transfer journalist Gianluca Di Marzio, Bayer, where Xhaka still has a contract until 2028, want a transfer fee of 8 to 10 million euros. According to "Kicker", the total package including transfer fee, salary and hand money would cost the Swiss player up to 40 million in three years. This is said to have seriously dampened the Italians' interest.
Granit's father Ragip Xhaka has now spoken out about the ongoing poker game. "Milan want Granit. I'm not talking about the terms of the deal, the clubs have to come to an agreement among themselves," he said on Kosovan TV station Teve1, adding: "They know that Granit is a key player for Bayer Leverkusen. He still has a contract until 2028."
Bayer does not want to know about negotiations
Meanwhile, there are no signs from Bayer that they want to let Xhaka leave early. Leverkusen's sporting director Simon Rolfes has recently denied that there are any negotiations with Milan. Bayer also do not want to know anything about a fixed transfer fee. And "Kicker" writes that there are "no indicators" that the 32-year-old could leave the Werkself for Italy.
Meanwhile, the Xhaka website suggests that a transfer is at least not out of the question. Even before his father Ragip speaks out, Granit Xhaka himself leaves it open as to whether he wants to be the key figure in Leverkusen's personnel rebuild: "It takes a lot of energy. And I'm no longer 25, I'll be 33 in September."
What's more, according to a report in "Sport Bild", Xhaka is annoyed that neo-coach Erik ten Hag only contacted him three weeks after he was introduced - even though the 55-year-old is said to have assured the Swiss that he would continue to play an important role during their first meeting. Only time will tell whether this will persuade Xhaka to stay.
