Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka might reportedly be tempted to quit the club this summer if they end up spending big money on another signing in that area of the pitch.
That’s according to Paul Brown of the Daily Star, who told Give Me Sport that he could see Xhaka being tempted to make a change if he faced more competition for his place in the team from a marquee signing like Declan Rice from West Ham, or Moises Caicedo from Brighton.
There has been some doubt about Xhaka’s future lately, with the Switzerland international linked with Bayer Leverkusen, as also noted by Brown.
The reporter suggests there could be an opportunity there for clubs like that to pounce for Xhaka this summer, depending on the kind of business Arsenal manage to get done.
The north London giants may see midfield as an area that could be improved on, with none of Xhaka, Thomas Partey or Jorginho getting any younger, and with not much depth behind them.
For Mikel Arteta to take this team to the next level, it surely makes sense to invest in quality long-term options like Rice or Caicedo, even if that means losing a key player like Xhaka.
“I feel if Arsenal were to make a big midfield signing and invest a lot of money in a player like Rice or Caicedo, that Xhaka might feel, at this stage of his career, he doesn’t want to play second fiddle or lose out on the kind of minutes he was getting this season,” Brown said.
“So, I think there’s an opportunity there for clubs like Leverkusen to come in and make him an offer, and depending on the sort of business Arsenal do, I think he might be tempted to take it.”