Former Arsenal man, Shkodran Mustafi, has not enjoyed much luck in the 11 months since he left Arsenal and it’s just got worse after he suffered a Grade III strain in his knee that will require surgery.

MALLORCA, SPAIN - OCTOBER 02: Shkodran Mustafi of Levante UD runs with the ball during the La Liga Santander match between RCD Mallorca and Levante UD at Estadio de Son Moix on October 02, 2021 in Mallorca, Spain. (Photo by Rafa Babot/Getty Images)
MALLORCA, SPAIN – OCTOBER 02: Shkodran Mustafi of Levante UD runs with the ball during the La Liga Santander match between RCD Mallorca and Levante UD at Estadio de Son Moix on October 02, 2021 in Mallorca, Spain. (Photo by Rafa Babot/Getty Images)

Shokdran Mustafi had his Arsenal contract cancelled at the start of the year allowing him to sign a short-term deal with Schalke where he helped lead a revolt against their manager, got dropped from the team for being awful, won only two games, got relegated and was then voted Relegated Player of the Season – in other words, the worst player, despite only arriving in the middle of the season.

When the summer rolled around, he was released by Schalke and it took him a while to find a club willing to pay the money he wanted, eventually finally has a new home at Levante at the start of September.

Mustafi has made just 11 appearances this season, starting eight league games and playing the full 90 five times.

One of those starts came against Espanyol at the weekend when he also managed to pick up a knee injury that will require surgery and keep him on the sidelines for around three months.

The player, “has undergone various medical tests to find out the extent of the injury that yesterday prevented him from concluding the match played against RCD Espanyol” which “have revealed that the player suffers a Grade III sprain in the external collateral ligament of the right knee and requires surgery.”

Shkodran Mustafi voted Relegated Player of the Season in Bundelisga

Shkodran Mustafi’s poor 20/21 was capped off by being voted ‘Relegated Player of the Season’ in Germany.

Schalke's German defender Shkodran Mustafi (L) speaks with Schalke's German defender Timo Becker during the German first division Bundesliga football match between 1 FC Union Berlin and FC Schalke 04 in Berlin on February 13, 2021. (Photo by ANNEGRET HILSE / POOL / AFP)
Schalke’s German defender Shkodran Mustafi (L) speaks with Schalke’s German defender Timo Becker during the German first division Bundesliga football match between 1 FC Union Berlin and FC Schalke 04 in Berlin on February 13, 2021. (Photo by ANNEGRET HILSE / POOL / AFP)

Kicker in Germany named Shkodran Mustafi ‘Relegated Player of the Season,’ although it’s hard to tell if he’s the best of that bunch or the worst as Google translate isn’t the most helpful.

Given how it went for Schalke – and Mustafi – it’s hard to imagine that the German football watching public think he was the best of anything, which, in essence, means that Mustafi has been named Worst player in the Bundesliga, quite the achievement considering he only went there midway through the season.

Mustafi, who was a free agent after his spell with Schalke, with a value of around £2.25m, has never seen his stock rise above £27m, despite Arsenal paying a criminal £36.9m (when he was only worth £18m and the total deal was even more expensive).

Bundesliga, SC Freiburg FC Schalke 04 emspor, v l Benjamin Stambouli FC Schalke 04 , Shkodran Mustafi FC Schalke 04 , disappointed, disappointed looking, disappointed
Bundesliga, SC Freiburg FC Schalke 04 emspor, v l Benjamin Stambouli FC Schalke 04 , Shkodran Mustafi FC Schalke 04 , disappointed, disappointed looking, disappointed

While in Germany, he was dropped from the team altogether at one point, with the media in Germany claiming he would never play for them again. He did, however, only being dropped for one game before returning on the bench and then making his way back into the starting lineup. Mustafi also helped Sead Kolasinac lead a ‘rebellion’ at the club.

Schalke won one game from the 11 in the Bundesliga that Mustafi started and, in total, the Germans won just two league matches after signing the former World Cup winner following his release from Arsenal.

And to think, at the tail end of 2020 Arsenal reportedly offered Mustafi a new deal and he turned it down.