What does the future look like for Granit Xhaka?

The transfer negotiations between Arsenal and AS Roma regarding Granit Xhaka have dragged on for several weeks. The Swiss midfielder showed a great performance at EURO 2020 and thus impressed coach Jose Mourinho. However, his future will take a different direction.

The 28-year-old midfielder captained Switzerland at this year’s European Championship and helped his team to reach the quarter-finals. His good performances have thus sparked interest among several European big clubs.

The Arsenal tribal player had offers on the table from Juventus and AS Roma, for example. It was the offer from the Italian capital that reportedly caught Xhaka’s eye and he was inclined to transfer. The Romans came with several offers, but Arsenal rejected all of them.

The last one that was presented to the London club was worth around 15 million euros. But Arsenal refused and instead of waiting for another offer, they came up with an unexpected move.

Xhaka met with Arsenal representatives and they offered him a contract extension. This sent a clear signal to other potential suitors for his services.

Mikel Arteta has made no secret of the fact that he admires the Swiss midfielder greatly and considers him one of the key players of his team. However, he has had many unpleasant moments in the past, for example, when he threw away his captain’s armband or had an argument with the fans.

Some still don’t like him for that, but there are many things that can’t be denied. He can calm the game down, he has great passing, he is not afraid to shoot from distance, he is one of the biggest leaders in the locker room and he can motivate his teammates in the right way.

If he can avoid the cards he collects for very silly fouls in the upcoming season, he could form a very strong central pairing with Thomas Partey.

Xhaka’s current contract expires in June 2023, but it is expected that he will extend the current one by one or two years with a new contract. By signing him, he will also earn a higher salary.

Thanks to the fact that this midfielder will not leave Arsenal after all, the London club does not have to look for a replacement for this position. Thus, he can strengthen the positions where he needs it more. Therefore, there are rumours that the Gunners want to bring in a midfielder in the number ten position or a substitute goalkeeper, for example.

Arsenal will play their first league game on August 13 when they play against newcomer Brentford.

Sources used: The Athletic, Arsenal