Shkodran Mustafi to Arsenal is already right up there with sagas including Arturo Vidal and, almost, Karim Benzema, and there’s still just under two weeks left of the transfer window.
Aside from all the conflicting claims from around the European media, and contradictions from the player’s father and claimed agent, other things have helped oil the wheels of the story.
However, that theory appears to have now been quashed. Super Deporte report that Mustafi returned to full training on Wednesday afternoon, and they have a photograph to prove it.
The Valencia newspaper explains that Mustafi suffered a muscle injury at Euro 2016, managed the situation, but then in training at his club’s pre-season, near London, he felt some discomfort and had to stop the session.
There’s no question over that situation, it was also caught on camera, and we covered it at the time.
Since that happened, on August 2nd, the Valencia media have explained several times that Mustafi has been dealt with carefully, training away from the group, with fitness coach Jordi Sorli, in an effort to be fit enough for Monday’s match against Las Palmas.
There’s no guarantee he will be, but all the timelines, and photographs of training and the injury, would appear to fit in with this being a genuine fitness issue rather than transfer related.
