According to reports by reputed journalist Fabrizio Romano, the Swiss international has signed a new contract with Arsenal, which will see him playing for the Gunners till 2025. Xhaka has reportedly been given a pay raise by the North London club.
Xhaka’s relationship with the club has been a strange one, with the midfielder being the hero of the club on some days and villain on the others. He was signed from Borussia Monchengladbach five years ago, for a reported fee of £35 million.
Since then, Xhaka has won two FA Cup titles and two FA Community Shield honours with Arsenal. He has played a total of 140 matches, in which he has scored 9 goals. Before the start of the season, Xhaka’s departure from the club looked imminent, as AS Roma were keen to acquire his services.
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Xhaka also agreed personal terms with the Italian outfit, while some sources even claimed that he was personally contacted by the Romans’ new manager Jose Mourinho. However, the deal never materialized as Roma could not meet the Gunners’ financial demands.
Journalists have claimed that Arsenal were looking for around £20 million, while Roma were offering £12 million. After an impressive outing in the Euro 2020, Arsenal decided against selling the experienced midfielder.
Mission Odegaard for Arsenal
The club will now look to sign Martin Odegaard, a player who spent the second half of last season at Arsenal on loan, on a permanent basis.
The 22-year-old Norwegian has found it difficult to make it to the Real Madrid first squad, and has made a total of only 11 appearances for Los Blancos. His time with Arsenal can be called a successful one, where he played 20 matches and scored two goals.
The defeat against Brentford in their opening 2021/22 Premier League fixture once again highlighted the immediate need for a creative midfielder, and Odegaard is Arsenal’s number one priority.
