Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka says his future will be decided before the final game of the season on Sunday.
The Gunners are in advanced talks with Bayer Leverkusen over a £13million move which would bring an end to Xhaka’s seven years at the club.
The 30-year-old has endured some turbulent times with Arsenal and was stripped of the captaincy in 2019, following a clash with the home fans at the Emirates.
Xhaka has rebuilt his connection with supporters since then and enjoyed his best season at Arsenal. He wants clarity around his future before his side face Wolves in their season finale.
“You will know the latest next week, for sure,” Xhaka told Standard Sport on Saturday, when asked if he could clarify the situation around his future.
“I think they (the fans) deserve that and I do myself as well. We have one more week of this Premier League season, the first thing is I want to enjoy [it] and, for sure, you guys will know next week what happens with my future.”
Xhaka will have one year left on his contract this summer, although there is the option to extend it by a further 12 months. He came close to leaving Arsenal when he lost the captaincy, but head coach Arteta persuaded him to stay.
Xhaka has since said that he wants to achieve something “special” at Arsenal and, despite falling short in the title race this season, rebuilding his relationship with the fans has achieved that.
“This is what I said when I speak about special,” he said. “I mean, how I say it, where I have been three years ago and how I came back and my turnaround, maybe. It makes me proud, makes me happy as well. But this is my story, this is my path.
“Of course, if next week we know much more what happen with my future, I will be thankful for the fans because how they treat me after this, I didn’t expect that if I am honest.
“I am thankful for that and I want to give them something back [for] maybe my last game on Sunday.
“I wanted to do something special this season, maybe with a title, but it’s not the time. Let’s see what the future speaks about it.
“Where I have been three years ago and where I am today, I think I grew up like a person, like a player and I got the respect back, what I think I deserve as well from the fans.
“We have worked 11 months very well, I think. Let’s enjoy the last game at home.”
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