Arsenal star Granit Xhaka has consistently been a controversial figure in his time at the Emirates, make no mistake.
The Swiss midfielder has been a superb player in spells, but his career in north London has been clouded by dubious moments which have cast doubt over his professionalism.
Management have not opted to sell him as he enters his seventh year at the club, which goes to show that he is perhaps still valued by manager Mikel Arteta despite his on-field issues.
And the Swiss star has opened up on his tricky contractual situation as he aims to be yet another key part of the Spaniard’s midfield with Arsenal set to embark on another challenge for the top four.
“We are building something very special here, with the project with Mikel [Arteta],” Xhaka said on Amazon’s Arsenal: All or Nothing series (as relayed by London World).
“It’s a shame I only have two years more on my contract. Let’s see what happens after two years, but I am seeing a big, big future for this club.
“A better person? I don’t know, as I think I was always a good person, but… different. Different because a lot of people ask me, ‘was last season the best, Granit, since you are here?’
MORE: “Unacceptable” – Erik ten Hag blasts Cristiano Ronaldo for recent decision
“But I never had problems at this club, not with teammates, not with people in the building, it was only this moment with the Palace game.
“Everything else was fine with the club, but people only see the moment and they were disappointed and they forgot the other five years.”
No new central midfield signings have been made at the Emirates so far this season – and if that remains the case by September, then Arteta will be counting on Xhaka to make a real difference throughout the course of the season.
that was a bad moment for xhaka…but I think it made him better after the fact ..and I think it was an outburst that is correlated to the crap years we have had from end of Wenger through Unai