AS Roma will once again head into the summer transfer window looking to sign Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka, with the Swiss international now on Jose Mourinho’s shortlist.
According to Corriere della Sera, the former Tottenham manager is looking to rebuild Roma’s midfield in the off-season, with Mourinho close to signing Xhaka last summer before Arsenal pulled the plug on a potential deal for the 29-year-old.
Despite multiple Arsenal fans and the player himself wanting to move to Italy, Xhaka has enjoyed what many would argue as his best season yet in north London, with the midfielder forming an incredible partnership with Thomas Partey and Martin Odegaard in a new-look 4-3-3 system.
Hailed this campaign as ‘phenomenal’ by Mikel Arteta, Xhaka has been key to Arsenal’s Premier League form and their genuine bid for a top-four finish, with the midfielder, who joined in 2016 for a reported £35m, yet to qualify for the UEFA Champions League with the Gunners.
And it is Xhaka’s performances this year that have once again attracted interest from Roma, with Mourinho intent on signing the former Bundesliga superstar this summer, with Arsenal potentially open to selling the Swiss maestro.
Multiple reports indicate that Arsenal are prioritising a midfield signing this summer, with Arteta keen to find the perfect partner to slot alongside Partey, ideally a player with similar traits to Xhaka yet who has more pace and is younger.
Arsenal should allow Roma to sign Xhaka despite incredible season
It’s quite stupendous to see how well Xhaka has performed this season given how many fans wanted the Arsenal midfielder gone and then his red card against Manchester City in August. Yet despite this brilliant redemption arc, the Gunners should still allow the 29-year-old to depart this summer.
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Indeed, Arsenal are looking to move on from Xhaka once again in the transfer window, and after an incredible year that could be capped with a top-four finish, Xhaka more than deserves his move to Roma, where he will no doubt flourish in Serie A.
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