Manager says he’s really ‘sad’ about what happened to £35m player when he was at Arsenal

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Arsenal fans have plenty of reasons to be optimistic about the upcoming season.

Mikel Arteta’s side have already registered two wins from their opening two games and Andrea Berta is still working to improve the squad ahead of the transfer deadline.

It is a much different picture for Arteta as to when he took over in 2019 from Unai Emery and even during the latter years of Arsene Wenger there was discontent in the fanbase.

With frustrations over results and performances on the pitch as well as the ambition shown by Stan Kroenke in the transfer market, one player in particular felt the wrath of the Arsenal supporters.

READ MORE: Ian Wright reveals what the Arsenal squad are privately saying about Max Dowman, ‘they can’t believe…’

Tony Mowbray feels ‘sadness’ over Granit Xhaka’s Arsenal career

Speaking on the latest episode of the ‘No Tippy Tappy Football’ podcast, former Premier League manager Tony Mowbray has spoken about his ‘sadness’ around Granit Xhaka’s Arsenal career.

Arsenal fans were impressed with Xhaka on his debut for Sunderland in their recent 3-0 victory over West Ham.

Many supporters were disappointed to see the Swiss midfielder leave the club back in 2023, however, the relationship between the fans and Xhaka was not always one of pure positivity.

Mowbray stated: “Granit Xhaka, an amazing footballer at Arsenal and yet the sadness for me I suppose when I think of Xhaka is getting booed off the pitch at the Emirates.

“Reacting to the fans who were booing him. I don’t I can’t remember what the occasion was, but I don’t know whether he got substituted and it was a poor reaction, but the fans were booing and he was gesticulating to them.”

Mowbray was referring to the league clash between Arsenal and Crystal Palace in 2019 when Xhaka was booed off the pitch by his own fans with the game locked at 2-2.

Signed by Wenger for £35m from Borussia Monchengladbach back in 2016, it took Arteta to convince Xhaka to stay in North London after the incident.

He went on to become a key player in Arteta’s midfield and scored nine goals in his last season at the club.

Granit Xhaka could be part of the reason Arsenal miss out on Piero Hincapie

Jamie Redknapp is a big fan of Xhaka and believes that the Gunners may have sold the midfielder too soon.

Xhaka’s recent move to Sunderland means that he is part of a number of key players to have departed Bayer Leverkusen this summer and they are digging their heels in over the sale of Piero Hincapie.

Arsenal want to sign Hincapie but the German outfit are holding firm with their valuation of the defender and are reluctant to further weaken their squad.

As for Xhaka, he will return to the Emirates this season with his Sunderland side but can expect an excellent reception from the Arsenal fans.