Granit Xhaka tipped for Hertha Berlin move

Granit Xhaka's agent has confirmed that there has been plenty of interest from clubs from all around Europe, and that his client has already made an agreement to join Hertha Berlin, potentially hindering Mikel Arteta's plans at Arsenal.

When Arteta arrived at the club, he spoke about every player having a clean slate, yet at the time, it was mainly about the constant transfer rumours surrounding Mesut Ozil, who was used sparingly by the previous manager, Unai Emery and the interim manager, Freddie Ljungberg.

Xhaka has had a very turbulent couple of months, from being named captain of the club to becoming a scapegoat and being stripped of his captaincy after swearing at the fans and throwing the armband on the ground. These incidents only fuelled speculation of a move away from the club even more.

The 27-year-old has since then had time to cool down the hate towards him, and has been eased back into the side, playing quite well for both Ljungberg and Arteta.

However, Jose Noguera, his agent, has confirmed that an agreement has been made with Hertha Berlin to bring back the Swiss international to the Bundesliga.

Noguera told Blick that they "are in agreement with Hertha BSC" and that Xhaka "would like to go to Berlin."

He also added that the only step left is to agree a transfer fee, as Noguera and Xhaka have "told Arsenal's club boss Raul Sanllehi and sporting director Edu Gaspar, as well as the new coach Mikel Arteta. Arsenal was informed about all the step,s the player and Hertha are clear."

Xhaka had a very good game against Bournemouth on Thursday, even though Arsenal ended up only drawing 1-1 in Arteta's first game in charge.

Xhaka has made 150 appearances for Arsenal in all competitions, scoring 11 goals in the process.

Xhaka made a name for himself in Germany, impressing during his four seasons at Borussia Monchengladbach, where he made 140 appearances in all competitions.