Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has confirmed that Granit Xhaka will not be leaving the club this summer.
Xhaka is a polarising character at the Emirates, but has been central to Arteta’s plans since he took the Arsenal job.
The midfielder made 45 appearances for the Gunners last term. You wouldn’t have thought the club would be overly keen on parting ways with a player that influential.
Still, that didn’t stop Jose Mourinho trying his luck.
As reported by the BBC, AS Roma had a £12.9m lowball bid rejected for Xhaka. On the back of a superb Euro 2020 campaign, you’d think they could command more than that for him.
MORE: Arsenal set to offer Granit Xhaka a new contract after Roma fail to meet player valuation
Though, it doesn’t look as though Arsenal will be entertaining his sale at all, or at least so Arteta has suggested.
Mikel Arteta to @talksport: “Granit Xhaka is going to stay with us. He is a key member of our squad”. ??? #AFC
Arsenal offered him a new contract until June 2025 with an increased salary, confident to complete the agreement soon after turning down Roma bid [€12m+€3m add ons].
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 1, 2021
Arsenal have already made several additions to the first-team squad this season. With the objective to close the gap on their rivals, it would be unwise to sell key first-team players.
Xhaka, love him or loathe him, falls within that category.