‘It’s not about the missus!’: Granit Xhaka tells Arsenal fans his future is NOT down to his wife
‘It’s not about the wife!’: Granit Xhaka tells Arsenal fans decision over his future is NOT about his wife’s desire to leave as the midfielder approaches departure with interest in Bundesliga clubs
Granit Xhaka has insisted it’s not about his wife when fans asked him about the possibility of his departure from Arsenal this summer.
Xhaka, 30, struck twice for the Gunners as they ended their Premier League season in style with a 5-0 hammer blow from Wolves at the Emirates on Sunday.
It is widely believed to be the Swiss midfielder’s last game for the club, having made nearly 300 appearances for Arsenal since joining in 2016.
Reports suggest that his wife Leonita Lekaj is tired of living in London and is looking for a change of scenery for the family.
The German outlet Kicker previously announced that it wanted to return to Germany for a long time – where the pair met while he plied his trade for Borussia Mönchengladbach.
Granit Xhaka’s wife, Leonita Lekaj, reportedly wants to move the family back to Germany
While signing autographs on Sunday, Xhaka insisted his future wasn’t down to ‘the madam’
The two met while the Swiss midfielder was practicing his profession at Borussia Mönchengladbach
But when asked about the situation by fans getting autographs after the Wolves match, Xhaka replied: ‘It’s not about the madam’, prompting a chorus of ‘aww’ from the waiting Arsenal supporters.
Earlier in the video, shared on Twitter, Xhaka responded to a question about his possible departure by saying, “We’ll see what’s going on next year.”
However, the question marks over the Swiss’ future with the Emirates have been swirling for some time and they won’t go away as long as he refuses to entrust his future to the Gunners.
Xhaka’s current Arsenal deal expires next summer, so the club must sell him this year if they want to recoup a fee for a player who previously wore the club’s captain’s armband.
It is thought that Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta would not stand in Xhaka’s way if he left
The Switzerland international could face limited playing time next season if Arsenal buy new men
Xhaka told Arsenal fans ‘we’ll see next year’ but could not confirm his stay with the Gunners
The Gunners bought Xhaka from Mönchengladbach for around £30 million, and it is believed they will earn around £13 million if they sell him now after seven years of dedicated service – something unexpected when he was sent off in 2019 booed.
Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen is reportedly interested in the Swiss international’s services – although Arsenal fans are also desperate for him to stay at the Emirates as his mid-park performances have been crucial to their second-place finish in the Premier League .
Arsenal remain linked with a number of potential summer midfield signings, which could limit Xhaka’s playing time next season if he stays with the Emirates.
It is thought that Mikel Arteta would not stand in the way of Xhaka if he were to leave – and could be used as part of a trade deal, with the Gunners also reportedly interested in Leverkusen winger Moussa Diaby.
