Report: ‘Phenomenal’ player now wants to leave Arsenal after hearing Declan Rice could join

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Granit Xhaka wants to leave Arsenal this summer, and one thing that has driven his decision to depart the Emirates this summer is the impending move for Declan Rice.

That is according to The Daily Express who report that Xhaka’s decision to leave Arsenal this summer was partially driven by the fact that he expects his gametime to be more limited next season as Edu looks to sign Rice.

The Gunners were looking to make their midfield much stronger with the addition of Rice, but it looks as though they may be back to square one.

Of course, you could argue that Rice is a better player than Xhaka, but it has to be said that Xhaka is much more proven than the England international at the top level, but in terms of sheer numbers, if Rice comes in and Xhaka leaves, the midfield picture doesn’t change at all.

Luckily for Arsenal, there may be more midfield reinforcements coming in. The Times report that the Gunners could well look to do a double deal for both Rice and Moises Caicedo, and that is an intriguing prospect to say the least.

Indeed, if Arsenal swap Xhaka for both Rice and Caicedo, you have to say that the Gunners will have made some serious upgrades in the middle of the park.

Regardless of who comes in to replace Xhaka, it will be quite sad to see the Swiss midfielder leaving the club. Described as ‘phenomenal’ lately, Xhaka has enjoyed one of the best seasons of his career, and he’s finally embracing that role of being one of the biggest leaders in the Arsenal squad.

Sadly, when you’re battling for top honours, there’s no room for sentimentality, and Xhaka may be a victim of a cull as Arsenal try to evolve into their next stage.