Granit Xhaka makes ‘relationship’ pledge to Arsenal fans as midfielder opens up on future
Granit Xhaka, an Arsenal midfielder, wants to do something unique at the club amid speculation over his future.
The Switzerland international would also like to have a ‘better’ and ‘closer’ relationship with Arsenal supporters.
Last summer, Xhaka was on the point of joining Roma, but the two teams couldn’t agree on a deal.
In a stunning U-turn by the club, he eventually elected to extend his contract at the Emirates.
Roma are expected to renew their interest in Xhaka during the summer transfer window, but the midfielder has stated that he has other interests and that his time at Arsenal isn’t over.
One of his top aims is to strengthen the bond between the players and the fan base:
“I want to have a better relationship with the people outside, with the fans, to be closer with them,” he told the Players’ Tribune. “We never meet them, we never have a conversation with them.
“They are only seeing us on the pitch, for 90 minutes, and goodbye. They don’t know how we trained before, they don’t know how you feel, they don’t know if you have problems in your family, they don’t know a lot of points. After the season I still have 2 years contract here. I will give everything until I’m at this football club. I always say that.
“I didn’t sign a new contract only to be here for [the season], I enjoy my time and that’s it. No, no, I want to achieve something with this club, something special. And before that, I don’t leave.”
It’s time for Granit Xhaka to set the record straight.
— Players’ Tribune Football (@TPTFootball) April 12, 2022
Coming soon. 13/04/22 pic.twitter.com/1FHVSYXcn2
Xhaka has had his ups and downs in an Arsenal shirt, most notably when he was stripped of captaincy following a confrontation with the home crowd in the Gunners’ 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace in 2019, but he’s proven crucial to Mikel Arteta’s formation.
Furthermore, his experience as a slightly older player among a plethora of youth makes it that much more difficult to replace him.
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Granit Xhaka makes ‘relationship’ pledge to Arsenal fans as midfielder opens up on future
