It would appear that Granit Xhaka has made up his mind that he wants to join Jose Mourinho at Roma, if reports in the Corriere Dello Sport can be believed….
The headline reads in English (vis Google translate): Xhaka convinced by Mourinho: “I want to go to Roma”
The Swiss “regista” [defensive playmaker] has asked Arsenal to be sold to the Giallorossi: Tiago Pinto is preparing to conclude the deal
We all know that Xhaka himself told reporters at the beginning of this saga that he wasn’t going to discuss anything about his future until after the rumours, so I am a little unsure if this report is true, but they do go into some detail.
They say that Xhaka has a nailed on agreement with Tiago Pinto for a 4-year contract at 2.5 million per season, facilitated by the “Decreto Crescita”, which is a new Italian law to boost their economy, that allows foreigners moving to Italy to only pay 50% tax for the first two years in the country.
This law will be a great incentive for top players to go to big Italian clubs like Roma.
The report also says that Arsenal are holding out for 20million Euros plus add-ons for the Swiss captain, which means Arsenal are prepared to take a loss on him, but surely the Gunners will need to bring in a whole new midfield if Xhaka gets his wish to leave?