Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka could've been a Stoke City star.

Max Eberl, director of sport at Xhaka's former club Borussia Monchengladbach, claims the Swiss midfielder was close to a Potters loan move after a disastrous start to life at the German club.

Eberl told the Rheinische Post: “Granit's career in the first 18 months at Gladbach did not run [as smoothly] as sliced bread.

“He was almost ready to be loaned to Stoke and I told him, 'If you go to Stoke now, you'll never end up at a big club – but you could'."

Xhaka is embarking on his fourth season at Arsenal, and has scored 11 times in 135 appearances.

He is now Unai Emery's captain at the Emirates, as well as skipper of the Switzerland national team.