Arteta says he has convinced Granit Xhaka to change his mind about his future in Arsenal. The midfielder is now poised to stay at the club.
Granit Xhaka looked set to be on his way out of the Emirates. This after his outburst to fans who booed him off the pitch during their clash against Crystal Palace in October. The incident cost him his captaincy.
The midfielder’s agents meanwhile claimed he has accepted terms with Bundesliga side, Hertha Berlin in December.
Nonetheless, Arteta has revealed that the pair held positive talks about the Swiss international’s future.
“The first message for him was that I wanted to understand how he was feeling and why he felt that way.” Said Arteta.
“I wanted him to hear my opinion on him and that I was ready to supports and push the club to be supportive of him too. This because he could be a really good player for us and he could enjoy playing under me in this football club.”
I tried to convince him that way. He thought about it, he had a very positive response afterward. I think he changed his mind.”
The October incident sparked a controversial few months for Xhaka. He even wrote a letter to Arsenal fans explaining how he and his family had been targeted on social media.
But to Arteta, it is impossible to avoid such incidents. It is not unusual to see animosity and division between players and fans.
“It is very difficult nowadays to have one full year where everything is perfect. It’s the environment; we have to deal with that and hopefully, in a few months nobody remembers those issues.”
“Of course, it is not ideal when players respond and it creates instability. So as much as we can avoid it, the better.”