The Premier league trio of Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United have been handed a transfer blow as German International Christoph Kramer has penned a new five-year deal that will keep him at his parent club Bayer Leverkusen until 2019.
Kramer is currently on-loan at Borussia Monchengladbach and has impressed there for the last 18-months. He will complete the two-year loan deal there and return to Leverkusen where he is expected to be one of the first names on the team-sheet.
According to reports, Arsenal were in the chase for the 23-year old defensive midfielder as he seemed to be a perfect fit for the gunners. After four seasons of loan, Leverkusen finally feel that Kramer is someone who will improve their side. With Emre Can’s departure to Liverpool and Simon Rolfes entering the twilight of his career, Kramer is expected to partner Lars Bender in the Leverkusen midfield.
Kramer, who is a Leverkusen academy product, has impressed in the last few seasons which led to him being selected for the World Cup. He featured in the final but was taken off due to an unfortunate head injury. Under Monchengladbach manager Lucien Favre, Kramer has found his main role, which is that of a defensive midfielder with an eye for a final pass. He has made 15 appearances in the Bundesliga this season and has been a key player in his side’s form so far as Monchengladbach occupy the final Champions league spot.
Kramer is a very dynamic midfielder and can play the role of a box to box midfielder as well. A move to the Premier League could still happen in the future, but it hinges on a high transfer fee. Prior to him signing a new deal, his price tag was around £12m. Now, his potential suitors will have to pay almost double the amount to sign him.