Ex-Arsenal star Shkodran Mustafi has home raided while he was upstairs as €1m stolen

The former Gunners central defender joined the Spanish club at the start of the season but his property was raided by three assailants on Sunday as he slept upstairs

Former Arsenal defender Shkodran Mustafi's home near Valencia was robbed on Sunday night with goods stolen worth a value of nearly €1million.

The Levante defender was sleeping upstairs in his house in Betera, 12 kilometers outside of Valencia, when the attack took place over the weekend - but he was unharmed. Cash, jewellery, watches, and handbags were among the items stolen.

It is reported that three hooded men entered via a balcony in Mustafi's residence having sneaked in from the golf course adjoining the land. It is estimated that the thieves spent 30 minutes inside the property in which they ransacked the rooms before the former Germany international was alerted to their presence – at which point they fled.

The player has several images on his social networks inside his chalet and a report in Valencia-based media outlet Superdeporte suggests these photos may have given the perpetrators clues on how to plan the robbery.

The Levante player has already filed a complaint about the incident and an investigation has now been launched by the police. Authorities are not ruling out the raid as activity by an organised gang that has carried out similar robberies on footballer's properties.

Mustafi has several sports cars in his collection and a motorcycle that he compared to one that Batman would ride.

Several footballers have been victims of robberies this season, including Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema's house in the Spanish capital. In Manchester, Victor Lindelof and Joao Cancelo have also been the target of attacks, the latter being assaulted during the robbery. Chelsea's Reece James and Arsenal defender Gabriel Magalhaes have suffered similar robberies.

In October, three men were arrested after breaking into the home of PSG star Angel di Maria, whose club teammate Marquinhos was the victim of a similar attack on the same day.

Mustafi made over 150 first-team appearances for Arsenal over the course of five seasons before leaving the club permanently in January 2021 to join German club Schalke – where he replaced Liverpool-bound Ozan Kabak. However, things did not go to plan for the defender in the Bundesliga with the club relegated as he moved on at the end of the campaign.

He penned a two-year contract at Levante, based in the city of Valencia, at the start of this season but is facing the prospect of another relegation. The side currently sit second from bottom at the foot of La Liga and are six points from safety with just five rounds of action remaining.