Mikel Arteta wants Granit Xhaka to stay at Arsenal

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has revealed that he wants Granit Xhaka to stay at the Emirates Stadium amid the speculation surrounding the Switzerland international's future.

The midfielder's agent recently claimed that the 27-year-old has already agreed terms to join Hertha Berlin, but a recent report suggested that Arteta was not currently prepared to sanction the sale.

The Swiss was not involved in Sunday's 2-1 loss to Chelsea in the Premier League, but the new Gunners manager put the midfielder's absence down to illness.

"He played at Bournemouth, he played really well, he was very committed, he played a really good game," Arteta told reporters. "After the game he started to feel ill. He had a temperature and he wasn't feeling good. The last two days he's been in bed. That's why he's not been selected."

Meanwhile, when asked by reporters in his post-match press conference whether Xhaka wants to leave the Emirates Stadium during the winter transfer window, Arteta replied: "I hope not."

The former Basel youngster, who has a contract at the Emirates Stadium until the summer of 2023, was stripped of the Arsenal captaincy earlier this season after an on-field outburst.