Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea keeping tabs on €60m-rated Bundesliga star

Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea are keeping a close eye on Exequiel Palacios ahead of a possible move this summer, according to journalist Ekrem Konur. The Argentinean forward has been quite impressive for Bayer Leverkusen in recent seasons and has turned heads in the Premier League.

The Premier League trio are likely to monitor him closely before mounting a move. The Argentinean is under contract with Bayer Leverkusen until 2028 and the Bundesliga giants are expected to demand €60m to let him go in January.

Palacios rose through the ranks at River Plate, before making the move to Bayer Leverkusen in 2020. He has since appeared 124 times for the Bundesliga club, scoring 14 goals and setting up 10 more.

His efforts have already turned heads at the Emirates. Arsenal invested in their midfield this summer, bringing in Mikel Merino from Real Sociedad. However, Thomas Partey's contract expires next summer and the Gunners are unlikely to hand him a new deal.

Meanwhile, Jorginho is also in the final year of his contract with the north London side and he has previously been linked with a move back to Serie A. The situation could tempt Arsenal to consider reinforcements in the middle of the park in 2025 and Palacios has been identified as an option.

However, the player also has admirers at Liverpool and Chelsea. The Reds failed in their pursuit of Martin Zubimendi this summer and remain in the market for a new midfielder. The Merseyside club oversaw a quiet summer this year, but are expected to invest heavily in the squad in 2025.

The midfield is likely to be the area of focus for Arne Slot and Liverpool apparently have Palacios on their wish list. The player can carry out various roles in the middle of the park and could be an interesting option for the Dutch manager.

Meanwhile, the Blues are also interested in his services. The London giants roped in Enzo Maresca as Mauricio Pochettino's replacement and invested heavily in the squad over the summer.

However, with Carney Chukwuemeka linked with an exit and Romeo Lavia struggling to stay fit, Chelsea could be back in the market for a new midfielder in 2025.

Exequiel Palacios' injury history will be a concern for Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea

Exequiel Palacios

Exequiel Palacios' injury history, however, will have Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool worried. The Argentinean missed seven games with muscle problems in the 2023/24 campaign.

He was sidelined for close to a month this season due to knee injury, missing four games in the process. Palacios only returned to action in the middle of this month and has registered just 20 minutes of football so far.

Arsenal have suffered with Thomas Partey's injury record and will be wary of adding another injury-prone player to their squad. Palacios' fitness issues will also be a concern for Liverpool and Chelsea.