According to a report in the Mirror, Arsenal could be preparing to offload Granit Xhaka in January following the announcement he has been stripped of the captaincy. Unai Emery confirmed the decision in his press conference on Tuesday evening ahead of the Europa League clash with Vitoria S.C. on Wednesday afternoon.
The Switzerland captain, valued at £36m by Transfermarkt has not featured since the 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace last month and did not travel with the squad to Portugal this week. Emery was asked if Xhaka would play for the club again and he responded with: “The future is Arsenal’s future. We have a very important match on Saturday.
“We need to take some decisions… My focus is for tomorrow. He is our player, we want to respect him.”
Emery’s evasive response has prompted widespread reports Xhaka could be looking for a way out with the club in agreement.
TIF Tactics – Emery’s comments suggest Xhaka’s future at the club looks bleak
It’s safe to say Xhaka hasn’t been popular with the club’s supporters for quite some time largely down to his sub-par performances in midfield.
Despite having played 144 games for the Gunners since moving from Borussia Monchengladbach in 2016, the question about his future in north London is one that will likely remain over the Emirates Stadium like a dark cloud, especially after Emery’s recent comments.
The decision to strip him of the captaincy has not come as a huge surprise but his omission from the squad to face Vitoria S.C. suggests either the 27-year-old himself has requested a transfer, in which case he will no longer feature in the coach’s plans, or that internally the club are yet to draw a line under the issue.
It’s difficult to see how the Switzerland international comes back from this and, perhaps, moving him on would be the best thing for all parties.