EX-ARSENAL star Shkodran Mustafi has hit back at former employers Schalke after claiming he’s joined a club where he’s ‘loved’.
The defender, 29, was part of the Schalke side that suffered a shock relegation from the Bundesliga and has since moved to Levante.
As quoted by Bild, Mustafi said: “The past six months at Schalke have been bad!
“It hurts because you know it’s a big club in Germany. We relegated, but now I’m here to concentrate on my job.
“It was important for me to go to a club where I am loved!”
Mustafi joined Spanish side Levante at the beginning of September after a difficult few years for club and country.
The German ace, then at Sampdoria, was one of the most sought after defenders in Europe after helping his nation win the World Cup in 2014.
He went on to leave the Italian club for Valencia that summer and continued to impress, earning a move to Arsenal in August 2016.
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Gunners fans hoped Mustafi would fix their defensive woes but he struggled to cope in the Premier League, joining Schalke on a free in February.
And his troubles continued in his homeland, playing 13 Bundesliga games as the German giants suffered a surprise relegation.
Mustafi has also not featured for his country since 2017 and faces a huge challenge if he wants to add to his 20 caps.
Shortly after joining Levante, the player said: “From the first moment I liked the idea of coming to Levante.
“We are going to give everything to take the club as high as possible.”
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk