Granit Xhaka's Agent Says Midfielder Wants to Leave Arsenal; Hertha Terms Agreed

The agent of Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka has said the player has agreed terms with Hertha Berlin and wants to leave the club.

Per BLICK (h/t The Athletic's James McNicholas), new manager Mikel Arteta has privately told Xhaka he can leave in the summer while publicly backing the Switzerland international:

German Football Daily shared the comments from agent Jose Noguera:

Per the Guardian's Nick Ames, Arteta said he wants Xhaka at the Emirates Stadium earlier this week:

An exit has seemed inevitable since Xhaka reacted angrily to jeers from the home fans during a 2-2 draw against Crystal Palace in October. Wearing the captain's armband, he cupped his ears to invite more boos, took off his shirt and walked straight past then-manager Unai Emery and into the tunnel.

He later issued a statement to explain his reaction:

The 27-year-old returned to the starting XI a month after the incident in the 2-1 loss to Eintracht Frankfurt in the UEFA Europa League. His level of play has gradually improved in the past few weeks, and he was among the standouts during the 1-1 draw against Bournemouth on Thursday.

According to Bleacher Report's Dean Jones, a January move is possible, and Xhaka would welcome even a loan deal with Hertha. He previously played for Borussia Monchengladbach in the Bundesliga.

Hertha entered the winter break just four points ahead of the Bundesliga's relegation play-off spot and are expected to strengthen their squad significantly in January.

Justin Setterfield/Getty Images

The experienced Xhaka would be a major coup for the club from the capital. With plenty of Bundesliga experience under his belt, he likely wouldn't need too much time to get settled and contribute.

Arsenal could also experience turnover in January, giving Arteta the chance to start forming the squad to his liking. The primary objective for this season has to be a European ticket, however, and to achieve such a goal, experienced players like Xhaka are needed.

A bid of €25 million seems fair value, but more may be needed to convince the Gunners to cash in on their former captain.