Granit Xhaka’s yellow card vs Leeds investigated by National Crime Agency after £65k bet on Arsenal ace being booked

GRANIT XHAKA'S yellow card against Leeds in December is being investigated by the National Crime Agency after a £65,000 bet on him getting booked was placed.

It follows a six-month inquiry by the FA after being alerted to the incident by leading bookmakers.

The Arsenal star, 29, was booked for timewasting in the 86th minute of the Premier League match at Elland Road.

Xhaka delayed taking a free-kick with the Gunners leading the game 4-1 at the time, prompting referee Andre Marriner to show him a yellow card.

Bookies were alerted after a bet of £65,000 was placed during the game on him being booked in the match. It won the punter £250,000.

There has never been any suggestion of any wrongdoing by Xhaka or any other Arsenal player with the investigation not examining the midfielder's behaviour.

In January a betting source told SunSport: “This bet was flagged to all bookmakers, because it was so big and it paid out.

"The investigation is looking at the bet rather than Xhaka’s behaviour —– it is not unusual for him to be carded at all.”

According to the National Crime Agency is investigating with the £65,000 stake far in excess of what is usually placed on yellow card bets, while the odds of a booking in the final ten minutes were greater than they had been prior to kick-off.

The bet was also made on a betting exchange, which allows users to bet against one another or take bets from other users.

The FA have also not decided to look into Xhaka's behaviour but have passed all their relevant findings onto the National Crime Agency.