This archive report was first published on 15 November 2019.
Granit Xhaka's future at Arsenal has been uncertain since he was stripped of the captaincy by Unai Emery following a heated exchange with fans during a match against Crystal Palace.
According to reports, Newcastle defender Fabian Schar is trying to convince his close friend Xhaka to join the Magpies in January.
The pair are teammates for Switzerland and are believed to be good friends, with Schar potentially playing a key role in Xhaka's next move.
It is understood that Newcastle are keen on a loan rather than a permanent move for Xhaka.
On November 15, 2019, 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.
He explained 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.
"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," Xhaka told Swiss newspaper Blick.
