Granit Xhaka’s mind made up, as January favourites emerge

Swiss journalist Marcello Pelizzari thinks that AC Milan are currently in pole position to land Granit Xhaka.

The 27-year-old was stripped of the Arsenal captaincy last week after telling fans to “f*** off” as he was jeered following his substitution in a 2-2 draw against Crystal Palace – also removing his shirt and cupping his ears.

Xhaka went on to issue an apology of sorts, explaining that ongoing social media abuse aimed at his family also led to his furious reaction, but Emery has yet to select the Switzerland international in any of the four matches since the Palace incident.

The Swiss international told Swiss paper Blick he could not understand the situation and “it was very hurtful and frustrating” and his future looks grim in north London.

Xhaka has been linked with Newcastle and Milan, although Magpies boss Steve Bruce refused to talk about the player when asked last week if he was interested in the Arsenal man.

“Granit Xhaka? Look, I was only in the job two weeks and I was linked with 42 players. So I am not going to comment on anybody else’s players. He is a very good player,” said Bruce.

Swiss outlet RSI claim that Xhaka is house shopping in Milan and MilanNews.it via Corriere del Ticino journalist Pelizzari is sure Xhaka will leave Arsenal in January.

“Unless a dramatic turnaround occurs, Xhaka will leave 100% of Arsenal in January,” he said.

“There was an interview given a few days by the player to Blick, the biggest Swiss newspaper, in which the player says he was really badly hurt by the insults of the Gunners fans, who brought up his newborn baby and his wife. That motivated his strong reaction against Crystal Palace.

“Right now Xhaka on the table has various options. There has been talk of Newcastle, which would be a welcome solution, because he can remain in the Premier League. Rumour has it that Borussia Dortmund is on the table, where he would find Favre, who launched him during his time at Borussia Monchengladbach.

“However, we know that he loves Italy and Milan in particular. From what we have come to know, even from sources close to his entourage, Milan would be the company that is ahead in negotiations to take it away from London in January, also because Gazidis has known him since the Arsenal days.

“Even Inter could have done a survey for the player, but at the moment the Nerazzurri are colder than Milan on the player.

“Xhaka thinks that Milan is a city where he would live well. His concerns with Milan more than anything else come from a sporting point of view, because he knows that the club in the league is having a lot of difficulties and that they are not in the European spots.

“His fear is to take a step backwards from the point of view of his career, to date, and then he must consider that he wants to leave Arsenal, as well as for environmental reasons, because next June there are the European Championships.”