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| Bayern Munich's German midfielder Serge Gnabry celebrates scoring the 4-0 goal during the UEFA Champions League last-16, second-leg football match FC Bayern Munich vs RB Salzburg in Munich, southern Germany on March 8, 2022. |
Bayern Munich will refuse Serge Gnabry’s request for a bumper new pay rise paving the way for his potential departure in the summer.
Gnabry, 26, has only one year left on his contract and talks over a new deal at Bayern have hit a stumbling block, according to the German outlet Kicker.
The forward has been heavily linked with a return to the Emirates as manager Mikel Arteta, who worked alongside Gnabry as a player, believes he can pip Liverpool and sign his former team-mate for a cut-price fee.
Gnabry spent five years at the Gunners after he was brought to north London at the age of 16 in 2011.
However, the German struggled to break into the Arsenal first-team and was sent out on-loan to West Brom in 2015 before being sold to Werder Bremen the following year.
Since moving to Hoffenheim and then Bayern in 2018, Gnabry has been a revelation in the Bundesliga, notching double figures for goals for the last six seasons.
In four years at the Allianz Arena, he has won three league titles and a Champions League.
Three years ago, Gnabry suggested that he never wanted to leave Arsenal and only did so to advance his career.
He said: I was still confident I could’ve got in the team but I didn’t want to wait. I didn’t want to be fourth or fifth choice any longer.
It was the hardest decision I had to make in football, leaving a club like Arsenal – the fans, the players – but to keep playing I had to take a step back and it was the right decision.
