Bayern Munich have reportedly had a third and final offer rejected by RB Leipzig for midfielder Konrad Laimer, with Arsenal and Tottenham interested in signing the Austrian international.
According to Bild, the Bundesliga champions have seen an offer of €24m (£20m) rejected by their east German rivals for Laimer, whose contract comes to an end next year with the 25-year-old recently turning down an extension with Leipzig.
With Bayern likely to move for Laimer in 2023, Leipzig’s decision to reject a third offer for the midfielder is an odd one, to say the least, especially with Arsenal and Tottenham both reportedly interested in the Austrian star, who could move before the closure of the window next week.
Labelled by international teammate Marko Arnautovic as ‘crazy’, Laimer has been one of the Bundesliga’s best midfielders in recent years, yet with so little time remaining in the window, it now appears that Leipzig could manage to keep hold of their star player for the first half of the season.
Whilst the German side are playing a risky financial game keeping Laimer at the club with 12 months left on his current contract despite having a good offer from Bayern on the table, the decision to keep the midfielder could prove to be a wise move in a footballing sense.
Indeed, whilst Arsenal and Tottenham are both interested in signing a midfielder before next week’s deadline, Leipzig will likely now not entertain any offers for Laimer, who could play a huge role in the Bundesliga side once again winning silverware and qualifying for a UEFA Champions League spot in the German top-flight.
Bayern will now almost certainly sign Laimer for free in 2023
As mentioned, Leipzig rejecting an offer from Bayern for Laimer when the midfielder has seemingly made his decision is bold, to say the least, and for the Bavarian giants, they will now seemingly certainly sign the Arsenal and Tottenham target for free in 2023.
Barring a miracle from Leipzig, Laimer looks bound to join Bayern next year, and for the east German side, they could soon regret not taking the £20m on the table for their star midfielder should they struggle to financially afford a replacement for the Austrian next summer.
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