Regardless of whether or not they lift the title, Arsenal have enjoyed a hugely impressive season.
The Gunners, who lead the table on 72 points with eight games to go, have been absolutely brilliant, and one player who has stood out most has been midfielder Granit Xhaka.
Having previously been known for his poor disciplinary record, Xhaka, 30, has managed to reinvent himself under Mikel Arteta and is now arguably one of the side’s most important players.
There are some concerns over the Switzerland international’s long-term future though. Not only is he now into his thirties, but with just two years left on his deal, it remains unknown whether or not the Londoners will attempt to offer the 30-year-old another extension.
Leading transfer expert and CaughtOffside columnist Fabrizio Romano has explained the Gunners’ stance on their talented midfielder though.
“The Gunners consider Granit Xhaka a really important player,” Romano said in his exclusive column.
“There is an option on the club’s side to extend his contract until June 2025 so there’s no panic to renew at the moment as his deal is still valid for another two years.
“The focus right now is on extending William Saliba, Bukayo Saka and Aaron Ramsdale’s deals, then other players will be invited to discuss their terms with the club too.”
Since joining the club German side Borussia Monchengladbach in 2016, Xhaka, who has 113 senior international caps to his name, has featured in 290 matches, in all competitions, directly contributing to 48 goals along the way.
Just my opinion.
I wouldn’t want Zhaka term extended. 2025 is enough time to groom one or two of the academie to succeed him. 2 seasons is a lot of time to get them playing games from the bench.
When AFC sign Declan Rice in the summer everyone will see the huge difference between him and Xhaka.