According to reports, there is a possibility that Granit Xhaka could leave Arsenal this summer and a return to the Bundesliga on the cards with Bayern Leverkusen interested in signing the 30-year-old.
Granit Xhaka moved to Arsenal from Borussia Mönchengladbach in the summer of 2016 for a fee of £40million. The Swiss midfielder has had a turbulent time during his seven years in North London, however now he seems to have found the stability under Mikel Arteta which has lead him to be playing the best football of his career to date.
Notably, Granit Xhaka nearly left club under Unai Emery when he was booed off by the Arsenal fans in a game at the Emirates Stadium against Crystal Place. The Arsenal captain at the time through his shirt on the floor and was adamant he’d never play for the Gunners again.
What happened next? Mikel Arteta arrived and turned Granit Xhaka’s Arsenal career around. From packing his bags and desperate to leave the club to having the best season of his career so far, the timing of these rumours about the Swiss leaving come as a surprise too many. Especially with Champions League football back at the Emirates next season, you’d expect he’d want to stay and play in the competition he’s fought so hard to get this club back to.
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With the inclusion of the Champions League football next season, it’s no surprise Mikel Arteta is looking to bring in at least one new midfielder in the summer, with Declan Rice and Moises Caicedo amongst the top targets. However this isn’t expected to be a move to replace Granit Xhaka, but rather add quality in depth to help the Gunners improve once again next season.
It appears Granit Xhaka’s private life could have an influence in a potential transfer this summer, as his wife , Leonita Xhaka, is missing life in Germany and would like to go back, according to reports.
So far, the most interest in Xhaka is being shown by Bayer Leverkusen, who is managed by Xabi Alonso, one of Mikel Arteta’s good mates in football. The Leverkusen manager sees the Arsenal man as an upgrade on his current midfield options.
This season, Granit Xhaka has defined all expectations when it comes to his performances, scoring five goals and assisting seven times in 34 league games.
There’s no doubt Mikel Arteta will want to keep his star midfielder, especially after he fought so hard to turn the Swiss’ Arsenal career around when he first came in. However if the Gunners do decide to sell Granit Xhaka, it’s expected the club will want an offer of over £30million to move the player on this summer.
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