Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka wants to leave the Premier League club in the January transfer window and sign with Bundesliga side Hertha Berlin, the player’s agent has said.
Xhaka has had a fractured relationship with the fans since he reacted angrily to being booed when he was substituted against Crystal Palace in October.
He was subsequently stripped of captaincy by former manager Unai Emery.
“Look, I will say it frankly and honestly, we are in agreement with Hertha BSC and would like to go to Berlin,” Xhaka’s agent Jose Noguera told Swiss publication Blick.
“We told Arsenal’s (head of football) Raul Sanllehi and sports director Edu as well as the new coach Mikel Arteta.
1/23 Bournemouth vs Arsenal
Mikel Arteta took charge of his first match as Arsenal manager at Bournemouth, but who were the star players at the Vitality Stadium?
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2/23 Bournemouth: Aaron Ramsdale – 6
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3/23 Jack Stacey – 8
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4/23 Steve Cook – 6
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5/23 Chris Mepham – 7
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6/23 Jack Simpson – 6
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7/23 Ryan Fraser – 6
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8/23 Lewis Cook – 6
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9/23 Jefferson Lerma – 7
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10/23 Dan Gosling – 7
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11/23 Joshua King – 6
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12/23 Callum Wilson – 6
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13/23 Arsenal: Bernd Leno – 7
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14/23 Ainsley Maitland-Niles – 6
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15/23 Sokratis – 7
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16/23 David Luiz – 6
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17/23 Bukayo Saka – 6
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18/23 Lucas Torreira – 6
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19/23 Granit Xhaka – 7
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20/23 Reiss Nelson – 6
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21/23 Mesut ozil – 6
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22/23 Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang – 7
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23/23 Alexandre Lacazette – 6
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1/23 Bournemouth vs Arsenal
Mikel Arteta took charge of his first match as Arsenal manager at Bournemouth, but who were the star players at the Vitality Stadium?
Arsenal FC via Getty Images
2/23 Bournemouth: Aaron Ramsdale – 6
Getty Images
3/23 Jack Stacey – 8
Getty Images
4/23 Steve Cook – 6
REUTERS
5/23 Chris Mepham – 7
Getty Images
6/23 Jack Simpson – 6
PA
7/23 Ryan Fraser – 6
REUTERS
8/23 Lewis Cook – 6
REUTERS
9/23 Jefferson Lerma – 7
AFP via Getty Images
10/23 Dan Gosling – 7
AFP via Getty Images
11/23 Joshua King – 6
AFP via Getty Images
12/23 Callum Wilson – 6
Getty Images
13/23 Arsenal: Bernd Leno – 7
REUTERS
14/23 Ainsley Maitland-Niles – 6
AFP via Getty Images
15/23 Sokratis – 7
Getty Images
16/23 David Luiz – 6
Action Images via Reuters
17/23 Bukayo Saka – 6
Action Images via Reuters
18/23 Lucas Torreira – 6
PA
19/23 Granit Xhaka – 7
PA
20/23 Reiss Nelson – 6
AFP via Getty Images
21/23 Mesut ozil – 6
Arsenal FC via Getty Images
22/23 Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang – 7
Getty Images
23/23 Alexandre Lacazette – 6
PA
“Arsenal were informed about all the steps, the player and Hertha are clear. It is only (a matter of) the transfer fee for the clubs.”
Xhaka was signed from Borussia Monchengladbach in 2016 for around £30m and has made 150 appearances since, scoring 11 goals and providing 17 assists.
New boss Arteta had publicly backed Xhaka to succeed at the north London club, even mentioning that the Swiss international was on his transfer list when he was assistant manager at Manchester City.
However, the agent said the Spanish coach had privately told Xhaka that he was free to leave the club in the close season, which irked the 27-year-old.
Hertha are 12th in the standings with 19 points – four points above the relegation zone – while Arsenal, who host Chelsea on Sunday, are 11th.
Reuters
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