Granit Xhaka has signed a new three-year contract at Arsenal, which includes the possibility of extending his stay by another year.
The new agreement represents a significant turnaround with Xhaka who is expected to leave the club earlier this summer. Roma even agreed on personal terms with the player, only for the two clubs to reach a standstill over their transfer fee.
Xhaka was part of the team that lost to newly marketed Brentford on opening day / Shaun Botterill / Getty Images
Before that, the midfielder had been strongly linked to a move to Hertha Berlin – just so that the deal would break down as well.
According to several sources, including The Guardian, Xhaka will not leave Arsenal this summer. He has signed a new contract until 2024 with the club also with the possibility to extend his stay by another year.
His previous contract would expire in 2023 and the Gunners wanted to protect his value because they know it will be extremely difficult to replace him this summer.
Xhaka’s time at Arsenal has been mixed. He clashed with fans already in 2019 after he was replaced during a defeat against Crystal Palace and is still a controversial figure among the fan base. But throughout his time in north London, he has rarely been out of the team and it looks like he will continue this season.
Xhaka’s new contract is the latest step in what Mikel Arteta hopes will be a hectic summer. At the start of the window, the club gave the green light for a major rebuild and earmarked around £ 250 million to sign a goalkeeper, center-back, left-back and two midfielders.
So far, Nuno Tavares, Albert Sambi Lokonga and Ben White have arrived and there is a deal underway to get Aaron Ramsdale to the club as well. Arsenal are also increasingly confident about a move for Martin Odegaard, who spent time on loan at the Emirates Stadium last season.
