Granit Xhaka is still loved at Arsenal, and the feeling is mutual.
The Swiss international had his ups and downs at the Emirates Stadium, but what nobody can deny is the fact that he gave his all for the club.
Since leaving Arsenal, Xhaka won the Bundesliga title with Bayer Leverkusen, returned to the Premier League with Sunderland and has been their most important player by a distance.
Despite that, his admiration for his old club has remained intact, and he is cheering the Gunners on to win the Premier League title.
Was there a better replacement for Granit Xhaka at Arsenal than Declan Rice? If so, let us know!
Granit Xhaka says it can be openly said that Arsenal deserve to win the Premier League
A lot has been said about Arsenal this season.
The Gunners have had an incredible campaign so far. They are on top of the Premier League table, with the best defensive record and goal difference.
Despite that, the usual pundits and rival fans have done their best to discredit the Gunners by claiming that they don’t deserve to win the title.
Granit Xhaka, however, disagrees.
The Swiss international has claimed that the Gunners completely deserve to be champions. He feels that it should be openly said out loud now.
He told The Times: “Oh, Mikel Arteta is a very special person for me. Without him, I don’t think I would be here, where we are sitting today. This part, of human being, but the other part of football is just, I learnt a lot. I started to learn football in a different way because of him.
“He prepares you so good that when you go on the pitch, you can really close your eyes and you know where the opponent is and you know where your team-mate is.
“I’m cheering for sure for Arsenal, but as well for the guys who deserved all season. I think we can be very open: Arsenal deserve to win the title.”
Should Arsenal have re-signed Granit Xhaka last summer?
Let us know how you voted in the comments… 👀
Arsenal may have finally found their Granit Xhaka replacement
Arsenal sold Xhaka to Leverkusen in the summer of 2023.
The Gunners have since signed Declan Rice, Mikel Merino and Martin Zubimendi in a similar role, but none of them is really a like-for-like replacement.
However, in Myles Lewis-Skelly, Arteta has found someone who can play through the lines like Xhaka while also adding physicality in the middle of the park.
The teenager has been excellent in that role in the last two games, and we think he has done enough to keep his place for the final games of the season.
If Lewis-Skelly continues to develop in the right way, we think he will become one of the best midfielders in the world in the coming years.
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