"His best season for us and he’s off", "Where is he going so soon?" - Arsenal fans in disbelief as star man is set to leave club this summer

Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka is set to leave the club in the summer and fans are outraged.

According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Xhaka, 30, will leave the Emirates at the end of the season despite having a year left on his contract. Bayer Leverkusen are in advanced talks to sign him for €15 million. He will be signing a four-year deal with the Bundesliga outfit.

Xhaka's departure comes as a shock amid his impressive campaign for the Gunners. He has scored seven goals and provided as many assists in 45 games across competitions. The Swiss international has enjoyed a more advanced role under Mikel Arteta.

The midfielder seemed certain to depart the Emirates in 2019 when he swore at supporters. He was stripped of the club's captaincy but has bounced back under Arteta. Xhaka even revealed to BeIN Sports last year how the Gunners boss was instrumental in his decision to stay at the club:

However, Xhaka will be leaving Arsenal in the summer, bringing an end to a seven-year stay in north London. He has won the FA Cup twice and made 295 appearances for the club.

One fan is bemused by the decision to sell Xhaka as he feels he has been the Gunners' best player this season:

Here's how Twitter reacted to the shock news that Xhaka will be leaving Arsenal in the summer:

Arsenal look set to replace Granit Xhaka with West Ham United's Declan Rice

All the signs point towards West Ham United captain Declan Rice becoming Xhaka's replacement at Arsenal. The Daily Mail reports that the Gunners are preparing to open talks with the Hammers over a £90 million (£103.36 million) deal for the English midfielder.

Rice, 24, has been West Ham's protagonist this season, scoring four goals and providing as many assists in 46 matches. He has played a key role in leading the west London outfit to the Europa Conference League semifinals.

Arsenal's interest in Rice has increased throughout the season and Arteta appears to be an admirer. The English midfielder also enjoyed an impressive 2022 FIFA World Cup campaign in Qatar. He was at the heart of Gareth Southgate's midfield, pulling the strings alongside Jude Bellingham.

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Matthew is a European and international football journalist at Sportskeeda who has been covering news, rumors and match reports for close to 3 years. Learning creative writing from University of Essex, he combined his skills and passion for football take up writing for the sport professionally.

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