Shkodran Mustafi sparks Arsenal exit rumours

Arsenal defender Shkodran Mustafi has hinted that he could leave the English club this summer after spending three years at the Emirates Stadium. 

The 27-year old recently removed “Player for Arsenal” from his Instagram bio suggesting that he could be on his way out of the Premier League. 

Manager Unai Emery has reportedly informed the board that Shkodran Mustafi is up-for-sale following his forgettable spell at Arsenal. The German is an unpopular figure among fans, often seen criticized for his horrendous errors and high-profile gaffes in games. He remarkably made three defensive errors in a match against Crystal Palace in April, all of which leaded to goals as Arsenal lost 3-2. 

Mustafi was signed by Arsenal from Valencia for £35m in 2016, but he has failed to live up to expectations. As a result, the English giants are ready to offload him and get rid of his £90,000 weekly pay from their wage bill.

Shkodran Mustafi not only deleted his bio but also changed his profile picture, which previously had a photo of him in the Arsenal kit. 

Arsenal have handed Unai Emery a very limited budget for this summer’s transfer dealings. The North Londoners failed to qualify for the Champions League for a second season running, and only have 40-50m to revamp their declining squad. 

Shkodran Mustafi will be one of the first names out of the club, however, his potential buyers will not be many. Arsenal, therefore, will not be able to extract a decent sum out of the centre-back’s transfer. Turkish giants Fenerbahce are one of the clubs which have shown interest in Mustafi.

The Gunners recently acquired Brazilian teenage sensation Gabriel Martinelli from Sao Paulo-based club Ituano for a reported fee of €6m, which means that the club have already got a reduced budget to find a replacement for Shkodran Mustafi.