Granit Xhaka has been a revelation this season. Although, it is probably fairer to say that the Arsenal midfield has been producing these performances as far back as last season when Mikel Arteta cultivated this new midfield role.
The Switzerland international has become an undroppable figure in the heart of the Arsenal midfield. Arteta has him operating further forward than usual and this has led to two goals and three assists from the middle helping the Gunners to the peak of the Premier League table.
Granit Xhaka signed a new contract in the summer of 2021 after serious interest from Roma. The club weren’t able to get a fee that they felt was representative of the now 30-year-old and instead he renewed.
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This renewal means that he was signed on until the summer of 2024, however, his contract does have an option to keep him at the club for a further season through until 2025. This would mean he’d finish the 2024/25 season as a 32-year-old.
Any further commitment from Arsenal would therefore see him move into his mid-thirties. There has been no suggestion thus far that the Gunners want to renew at this stage nor vice versa.
However, Arteta has been very complimentary of Xhaka, who is part of his leadership group with captain Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Jesus. He said after the 3-0 win over Brentford: “His consistency, and how he goes about every day.
“What he’s learnt in different moments of his career, whether here or with the national team. Also, his willingness always to stay humble, to look forward and try to get better and when you do that, normally good things happen.”
Xhaka himself has committed himself to achieve ‘something special’ with Arsenal before he decides to leave. He said this in an interview the Player’s Tribune toward the end of last season.
"After the season I still have two 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 to be here for - enjoy my time and that's it.
"No, no, I want to achieve something with this club, something special. Before that, I don't leave."
Well, with the Gunners at the league’s summit it is fair to say a Premier League title is ‘something special’, even more so some might say. However with the 30-year-old in the form of his life, if a miraculous title was won this season, very few would want him to go.
The dilemma for Arteta though is that if he wants to further the squad with world-class players that are made accessible to Arsenal by the Champions League, Xhaka could be one of those players that would need to be sacrificed. Balancing him in a squad whilst trying to ruthlessly improve it will be a significant challenge to the Gunners manager.
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