Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka would like to achieve something special at the club, amid speculation about his future. The Switzerland international would also like to build a 'better' and 'closer' relationship with the Arsenal fans.
Xhaka was on the verge of joining Roma last summer but the two clubs failed to agree on a fee. He eventually decided to extend his contract at the Emirates in what was a transfer U-turn from the club. football.london understands that Roma are set to reignite their interest in Xhaka over the summer transfer window, but the midfielder has insisted that he has other priorities, and his time at Arsenal isn't done yet.
One of those priorities is that he would like to improve the connection between the players and the fan base: "I want to have a better relationship with the people outside, with the fans, to be closer with them," he told the Players' Tribune. "We never meet them, we never have a conversation with them.
READ MORE: Former Arsenal favourite Mesut Ozil delivers verdict on Arda Guler amid Gunners transfer link
"They are only seeing us on the pitch, for 90 minutes, and goodbye. They don't know how we trained before, they don't know how you feel, they don't know if you have problems in your family, they don't know a lot of points. After the season I still have 2 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 only to be here for [the season], I enjoy my time and that's it. No, no, I want to achieve something with this club, something special. And before that, I don't leave."
Xhaka has had his ups and downs in an Arsenal shirt - namely when he was stripped of the captaincy following a disagreement with the home crowd in the Gunners' 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace in 2019 - but he's become imperative to the way Mikel Arteta sets his side up. Plus, his experience as a slightly older player amongst plenty of youth also makes it that little bit more difficult to replace him.
