Granit Xhaka has reportedly said Arsenal doesn’t have to be the last stop in his career, but it’s not clear exactly what that meant, or if he even really said it.

A piece by Swiss outlet Tagblatt contains what appears to be a quote from Granit Xhaka, saying “I’m very ambitious, I want to take the next step, Arsenal does not have to be the last stop”. It’s a very shareable line for all the people who can’t wait to take a swipe at the midfielder, but the lack of context calls the reliability of the words into question.

The piece is written almost like an interview, but with very few quotes. The lines that do appear to be quotes, as above, appear in the middle of paragraphs that clearly aren’t. Even then, arrow marks are used instead of quote marks, so it’s not completely clear whether this is a direct quotation, or paraphrasing, or a complete fabrication.

The section in question is about Xhaka investing in a career in real estate. Without any context, it’s impossible to say if his ‘next step’ would be in another football club or in furthering his real estate portfolio after he’s done with football.

The fact is that Xhaka signed a new long-term deal with Arsenal last summer, reportedly lasting until 2023. He’ll be three months away from turning 31 by the time it ends, so there really isn’t any worry about him running down his deal.

The very worst case scenario is that he does plan to move on and pushes for a transfer. With the length of his contract and the fact he’s a regular starter in a top team, he’d bring in a very good fee, so even that is no disaster. There’s nothing to worry about here.