Arsenal ready to sacrifice ex-captain Xhaka in pursuit of Rice

Arsenal are reportedly set to allow long-term servant and one-time club captain Granit Xhaka to leave this summer as their pursuit of Declan Rice intensifies. 

Xhaka joined Arsenal from Borussia Monchengladbach in the summer of 2016 and has been at the club for close to seven years since. 

The Switzerland international has enjoyed many highs and lows with the Gunners including being named club captain and then being stripped of the honour subsequently. 

He was a huge part of Arsenal’s title challenge in the 2022/23 season, enjoying his most productive season in front of goal for the Gunners, scoring five goals and assisting seven more goals, but is now expected to take his services to another team to make way for one of Arsenal’s top summer transfer targets. 

Reports suggest that Xhaka is now set to depart the Emirates Stadium at the end of the season even though his current deal does not expire until the summer of 2024. 

The Swiss midfielder is believed to be one of the players Arsenal plan to move along to finance a deal for their top midfield targets West Ham’s Declan Rice and Brighton’s Moises Caicedo, who are expected to cost a combined fee close to €200 million this summer. 

Xhaka is believed to be on his way back to Germany with Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen expected to complete a deal for the former Arsenal captain after recently signing Benfica full-back Alex Grimaldo as part of their summer rebuild.