Arsenal’s Granit Xhaka has had a rollercoaster career at the Emirates, but one thing that seems certain is that the Swiss midfielder has leadership qualities in him.
Signed by Arsene Wenger, he has continued to play important roles in the Arsenal team under different managers and Mikel Arteta has now hailed his leadership skills.
Xhaka’s return to the starting XI in Arsenal’s last game inspired the Gunners to beat Southampton 2-0.
He brought about leadership and urgency into the team’s play that had been missing in the game against Brighton.
He had fallen out with the club’s fans earlier in the season and he was even stripped of the captain’s armband. However, he has remained a key figure in the team after Arteta convinced him to remain at the Emirates when he wanted to leave in the last transfer window.
The Spaniard has now hailed his midfielder as a “natural leader”.
Arteta said, as quoted by Sun Sports: “He is a natural leader.
“He is always 100 per cent committed, not just for himself but for his team-mates – all the time. I am happy you can hear him.”
It makes you wonder if Arteta is lining up Xhaka to once again be the Arsenal captain, especially if Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang decides to leave this summer.
