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Granit Xhaka has signed a new contract with Arsenal, extending his stay at the club until 2024.
Earlier this summer it seemed he was on the verge of joining Italian team Roma, going so far as to agree personal terms with the Serie A side, only for the deal to collapse when the two clubs could not agree a valuation.
It would be fair to say that the news has not been greeted with universal affirmation by Gunners’ fans. Some will never forgive him for his actions as captain under Unai Emery when he was substituted in a match, tearing off his shirt and armband, and throwing them to the floor in disgust, actions for which he has never publicly apologised.
And for others his style of play, building out from the back ,makes the Gunners too slow and predictable in attack.
Nevertheless, Mikel Arteta trusts him, and showed his faith in the Swiss international by giving him the armband on Friday again against Brentford.
Andy is an exiled English football fan living in Cyprus. He loves all sports but football is his abiding passion, and he still has dreams every now and then about scoring the winning goal in a Wembley Cup Final, even though his playing days are long gone. He follows most major leagues, across Europe at least, and has a favoured team in each. When he’s not watching, listening, reading or downloading podcasts about football, he spend his time worrying about his beloved Arsenal.