Patrick Vieira has told Mikel Arteta that Granit Xhaka reminds him most of himself from the Arsenal squad. The 29-year-old had a tough time winning plaudits since since joining the Gunners in 2016 but he's since enjoyed an up-turn in form.
Xhaka has started all of the north London side's fixtures this term, in both the Premier League and Europa League. In fact, the Switzerland international has played all but two minutes of Arsenal's season thus far, chipping in with a couple of goals and even donning the captain's armband.
In a slightly new role further up the field, Xhaka has impressed and earned comparisons to club icon Vieira. Speaking earlier in the year, the Gunners legend and current Crystal Palace boss came to the Swiss' defence when heavily linked with an exit.
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Speaking to Sky Sports, as quoted by The Mirror, Vieira spoke of the qualities that Xhaka has which can be compared to his own from his time as a player. The Frenchman said: "Xhaka at Arsenal, I think he is a team player, I think he is somebody you may not notice, you may not mention a lot but he is doing really hard work for the team.
"I know how good he is, and he will come through this difficult period because he's a strong man," he added. "He's a good player, and he will show how good he is."
Last year, Xhaka was heavily linked with an exit from Arsenal amid reported interest from AS Roma and Juventus. According to Calciomercato in June 2021, the midfielder agreed personal terms with Jose Mourinho’s side despite the midfielder’s interest in a move to Juventus.
However, despite an uncertain future at London Colney after his captaincy was stripped, Xhaka stayed put and eventually went on to win back the trust of Arteta. The Spaniard met the Swiss halfway and the pair have since flourished together, with Arsenal now sitting top of the Premier League.
Speaking to the BBC, Xhaka admitted that he was all set to leave the north London club until Arteta spoke with him and convinced him otherwise. The midfielder said: "[Arteta] is the reason why I’m still at this football club. All of the club knows why I am still here, because three years ago I was gone.
"My suitcases were packed and finished, but I had a meeting with Mikel when he came. He wanted to hear my opinion about what had happened and I explained to him.
"I remember it exactly. I told him, ‘It has nothing to do with you’, because I didn’t know him and I never played with him. Obviously I knew his name, but not the person and I said, ‘I’m gone, I can’t wear the shirt any more’.
"He said, ‘Give me a chance for six months and if you are still not happy after six months, I’m the guy who will help you, not to run away, but you can leave’. I didn’t speak with family, with nobody, and normally I don’t do that. But I said, ‘OK Mikel, I will stay for you’, and I’m still here."
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