Deal set to be announced as International midfielder agrees 4-year contract with Arsenal

Arsenal are set to hand a new four-year contract to Granit Xhaka according to reliable journalists Fabrizio Romano and James Benge. Xhaka will sign the deal, which will see him rewarded with a small pay rise due to his loyalty to the club. 

Romano says that Arsenal will announce the contract for the 98-time capped midfielder shortly.

It was widely reported in July that Arsenal were close to selling Xhaka. It does appear that the club were willing to listen to offers for the midfielder, who turns 29 in September. But the only offer that arrived was one from Roma, just north of £10million.

Arsenal have thought about the proposition and decided that this amount was so nominal, that a sale did not make sense. 

Instead, with two years remaining on his current contract, Arsenal have opted to extend Xhaka’s deal by a further two years. 

That means in 2025, when his deal expires, Xhaka will be about to turn 33. It’s a significant move from the player, who, if he sees out his new deal at the club, will have spent 9 years with the Gunners, despite a very turbulent time in London. 

Despite this, it can’t be argued that Xhaka has improved in recent years, and under Mikel Arteta, Granit has been a central figure in the Arsenal team. Arteta will hope his partnership with Thomas Partey can grow next season and help take the club back into the Champions League. 

Xhaka’s leadership qualities cannot be questioned, we saw that in Euro 2020 for Switzerland. His ability is also there for all to see, but so are some of his limitations in terms of mobility and concentration. 

With Xhaka now secured at the club for the long term, Arteta will need to ensure he gets the best from the player. Ultimately Arsenal have not qualified for the Champions League since Xhaka arrived and that trend will need to change in the next four years if this contract extension is to be deemed a success.

Whether you like him or not, it was important for Arsenal to settle Xhaka’s future before their Premier League season kicks off in just 9 days time against Brentford.