Bernd Leno reveals private talks with Arsenal star before move

Arsenal's second summer signing Bernd Leno has confirmed that he had held talks with compatriot Shkodran Mustafi several months prior to his move to the Emirates Stadium.

Speaking on Arsenal Player, Leno said that he has a close relationship with Mustafi since his junior days with Germany and the centre-back had an influence on luring him to the north London giants.

He said: "I talked to Musti about Arsenal many months ago. He said it’s a fantastic club with a fantastic stadium and fantastic fans. I’ve known Musti for about 10 or 11 years. We grew up together in the youth national teams, the Under-17s through to the Under-21s."

Regardless of this, Leno may not get an opportunity to work alongside Mustafi next season, should Unai Emery decide to offload the defender from the club's ranks.

Mustafi was one of the Gunners' under-performing centre-backs during the previous campaign and reports have suggested that he could make a switch to the Serie A with Inter Milan this summer.