Arsenal table €40m bid for Leverkusen's Maza as Odegaard cover

Arsenal have tabled a €40 million (£35m) proposal to bring Bayer Leverkusen's attacking midfielder Ibrahim Maza to north London, eyeing him as a potential successor to their captain Martin Odegaard.

Odegaard, 27, remains one of the Premier League's finest attacking midfielders and continues to operate at the peak of his powers following his spell at Real Madrid. Yet a troublesome injury campaign has demonstrated that Arsenal can function effectively in his absence from the starting XI.

Mikel Arteta and sporting director Andrea Berta have identified the 20-year-old Algeria international as the answer to their midfield evolution. The Gunners, chasing both league and European glory this term, have made their move alongside Manchester City—but Bayer Leverkusen have shown both suitors the door.

Reports indicate Arsenal view Maza as "the ideal piece of the puzzle to bolster their rotation in the post-Odegaard era," with both the Gunners and City having "already submitted initial offers in the region of €40 million, which were promptly rejected."

Maza arrived at Bayer from Hertha Berlin last summer and has established himself as a regular attacking midfielder this season. The youngster's tally reads five goals and six assists across 39 outings in all competitions. Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur, Atletico Madrid, and Juventus are also circling.

Bayer, however, are in no rush to sell. The German outfit would prefer to keep Maza for another season, allowing his market value to appreciate before a potential summer 2027 departure command considerably more.

The pursuit comes in the wake of Arsenal's weekend reverse at home to Manchester City. The Gunners hold a three-point advantage atop the Premier League table, though Pep Guardiola's side occupy second with a game in hand.

When quizzed on his side's title credentials post-match, Arteta declared: "I believe today, I believe on Wednesday, a week ago, because I see them every day and I know the level that we have. But today, if they need to be more convinced, I think they are now more convinced.

"They were talking about it in the dressing room. It's a new league now. They were a game in hand. We have three points of advantage and five games to play. So everything is still to play for. So we know how much we want it and we're not going to stop and we're going to go again, that's for sure."