Mikel Arteta pays tribute to Granit Xhaka forward of possible Arsenal farewell
Xhaka is ready to go away Arsenal this summer time after seven years on the membership with talks advanced over a £13million move to Bayer Leverkusen.
Sunday’s match in opposition to Wolves at Emirates Stadium is ready to be the 30-year-old’s final for the membership and he had hoped his future could be resolved earlier than then.
But when quizzed about it, Arteta stated: “I cannot talk and I won’t talk about the future of any player. We have to wrap up the season and then we will plan the following season.”
The Arsenal boss did, nonetheless, sing Xhaka’s praises and reveal he has been pivotal within the Gunners rising to grow to be title challengers this season.
“For me, crucial,” stated Arteta. “Really really important, on every level. I think for the team and for the club as well. In the great moments like the season he has had, and in the difficult ones.
“We have become a better club and better people and we have understood certain situations much better than just judging them.
“I think the club and a lot of people have done really well to dig in there and understand what happened emotionally and why those reactions were happening. And having the courage to say okay, let’s turn around the situation and face it.
“There are going to be moments of doubt but if you believe in what you are doing and you go face-to-face and you say what you feel, normally things work out pretty well.
“Look at how he behaves. Not only him, we have some others that are absolutely a joy for those boys. The way they treat them.
“It is an honest and a unique willingness to help them. It is not an act. It is not because they think it is supposed to be their role. It is genuine. And that is what makes the difference.
“We have four or five in that dressing room who have been critical for those players to grow, to have the right support and to inspire them.
“And in the right moment to challenge them, to get them into the right direction when they are tempted to go somewhere else. You need that.”