Santi Cazorla to leave Villareal amid rumours of move to Xavi's Al Sadd

Villarreal confirmed on Saturday that midfiedler Santi Cazorla will play his last match for the club on Sunday in their season-concluding La Liga fixture against Eibar.

35 year-old Cazorla began his professional carreer at Villarreal as a teenager and played for Recreativo Huelva and Malaga in Spain before moving to Arsenal in 2012, where he spent six seasons.

He suffered a severe ankle injury in 2016 which developed complications so severe Cazorla might even have lost the foot, but he battled back, not only to full fitness and a return to his boyhood club, but also a recall to the Spanish national side.

Cazorla has now decided not to renew his contract and has been linked with a move to Qatar to link up with former international teammate Xavi at Al Sadd.

It's also been reported that he could return to London and take up a coaching role under Arsenal's Spanish head coach, Mikel Arteta, has also ben mooted.

The Villarreal captain, Bruno Soriano, will also leave the club following Sunday's fixture.

Image credits: AP