Christian Kofane says he can imagine the Premier League, but not on Arsenal’s timetable. The Bayer Leverkusen striker has said he wants to take things step by step, and that he feels very comfortable at the club after joining from Spanish second-tier side Albacete last summer. His first season in Germany ended with 7 goals and 9 assists in 44 appearances.

Kofane's own line on his future

The strongest quote is the simplest one. “I can certainly imagine it, yes. It’s one of the best leagues in the world. But I want to take it step by step. I’m young and still have big plans with Bayer Leverkusen,” Christian Kofane told metro.co.uk.

He backed that up with another direct note of contentment: “Bayer Leverkusen a great club that has given me a great opportunity and a lot of confidence. I feel very comfortable here.” That is not the language of a player pushing for the exit. It leaves the Premier League door open, but only in the loose, long-term sense.

The Arsenal noise around him

The chatter comes from outside the player. Eric Depolo said Arsenal’s interest is genuine and added that Mikel Arteta likes him very much. Depolo also claimed Kofane is a €100million (£85m) player and described him as a long-term solution.

There is a catch to that storyline. Kofane told football365.com: “No, that didn't reach me. My agent apparently spoke to one or two people. I myself didn't have any contact with anyone.” He added: “No. My agent can say whatever he wants, and the media can say whatever they want about it. I'm here to play football.”

Arsenal’s name is not random. Kofane caught the eye in both Champions League last-16 legs against Arsenal, and David Raya produced a stunning save to deny him late on at the Emirates. But the player’s own position is still the safer reading, especially with his contract at Leverkusen running through June 2029.

The club hold the leverage, and Kofane sounds settled. He is open to England eventually, but he is not asking for the move now, and the noise around Arsenal is doing more of the work than the striker himself.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 4 outlets. How we work →