Are Arsenal really offering Xhaka a new contract? | OneFootball

Arsenal looking to extend Xhaka’s contract

Arsenal are now looking to hand fresh terms to their former captain Granit Xhaka, according to The Athletic.

It was previously reported that the Italian side AS Roma, who have been strongly linked with the Swiss international in the past few months, have failed to meet Arsenal’s valuation of the player.

Xhaka has two years left on his current deal and staying at the Emirates Stadium is looking like a probable outcome now. That will make the task of technical director Edu and manager Mikel Arteta a tad bit easier in a summer where they have plenty on their plates already.

The Gunners have acquired the services of Albert Sambi Lokonga, Nuno Tavares and Ben White, and are believed to be looking to strengthen several other positions.

After two underwhelming Premier League campaigns, having a fresh squad at the start of next season has become a necessity rather than a want.

The Gunners were willing to offload Xhaka to pursue another midfielder, had they received any suitable offer for him. But until now, they haven’t and the 28-year-old looks set to remain put, for the time being.

Things can rapidly change in the transfer market, however, and it won’t be beyond the realms of imagination that Roma pay up for the midfielder after he has penned fresh terms.

Whether it will be this year or a year later remains to be seen.

Xhaka has been a topic which has divided the fanbase since his arrival from German side Borussia Mönchengladbach in the summer of 2016.

While some believe his performances are underrated and he’s crucial to the Gunners’ system, other believe that he is too ponderous to ever be a “true success” in the Premier League.

His importance could only have seen by the Gunners’ faithful, had he left the Emirates Stadium this summer.

In my honest personal opinion, I wanted the 28-year-old to leave. You cannot make a totally different puzzle if you keep using the same old pieces.

You need fresh pieces to have a new-look puzzle. And Arsenal desperately needed that this summer after two disappointing seasons.

Although landing Manuel Locatelli was ambitious and was always going to be difficult, the likes of Ruben Neves, Yves Bissouma and the more recently linked Bruno Guimarães, were achievable signings and would have made the team stylistically different to the team that has been insipid to say the least.

I believe it would have been crucial for the team, in putting the last two years behind and moving forward with more purpose.

Yash Bisht