Granit Xhaka set to leave Arsenal in January, destination revealed

Granit Xhaka linked with move to Newcastle

Newcastle defender Fabian Schar is reportedly attempting to convince close pal Granit Xhaka to quit Arsenal for St James' Park in January.

Xhaka has had a difficult month after being stripped of the Arsenal captaincy  by boss Unai Emery.

Xhaka's future at the club looks uncertain following his outburst at Gunners fans when leaving the field in the match with  Crystal Palace  .

He faces a potential backlash from supporters the next time he pulls on an  Arsenal  shirt, with the club now thought to be looking to offload him to appease the situation.

Newcastle are one of the club's rumoured to be considering acquiring his services - and Schar could play a key role in his next month.

The pair are teammates for Switzerland and are believed to be good friends, with Sky Sports claiming that Magpies boss Steve Bruce is hoping Schar persuades the midfielder to join the Toon.

It is understood that the Magpies are keen on a loan rather than a permanent move.

Meanwhile, Xhaka warned Arsenal supporters that the "extreme hostility" directed at him damages team spirit but insisted he will prove he is a key member of Unai Emery's squad moving forward.

The 27-year-old was stripped of the captaincy last week after telling fans to "f*** off" as he was jeered following his substitution in a 2-2 draw against Crystal Palace - also removing his shirt and cupping his ears.

Xhaka went on to issue an apology of sorts, explaining that ongoing social media abuse aimed at his family also led to his furious reaction, but Emery decided to remove him as skipper and has yet to select the Switzerland international in any of the four matches since the Palace incident.

Heading into the international break, Xhaka has further explained his outburst and what was going through his mind at the time.

"When my shirt number lit up on the fourth official's panel and our own fans broke into gleeful jubilation, that hit me very hard and really upset me," he told Swiss newspaper Blick.

"It was very hurtful and frustrating. I can't understand a reaction like that even now, especially the vehemence of it and the extreme hostility directed against me.

"Insulting and swearing at your own captain will cause upset and a bad atmosphere for the team you are actually supposed to be supporting, that makes no sense to me and weakens the team's spirit."