New Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has praised midfielder Granit Xhaka whilst revealing yhat6he tried to sign him for Manchester City in 2016 before Arsenal swooped for him.
The Swiss midfielder has been at loggerheads with the Gunners supporters for the last two months after an incident in which he used the F word against fans who booed him as he went off against Crystal Palace.
The incident saw him stripped of the captaincy and fans had demanded that he leaves in January. He has been linked with a move to Hertha Berlin during the winter transfer window.
It now appears that the Gunners fans who want him out will be left with an egg on their face after new coach Mikel Arteta spoke of his admiration for the player a clear indicator that the defensive midfielder will be a key player under the Spanish coach.
According to Arteta, he tried to sign the player for Man City while he was still at Borussia Mongladbach but Arsenal managed to convince him to join them. He went further to praise his quality terming him an important player for the team.
On his relationship with the fans. Arteta believes that there has been an improvement since the Crystal Palace incident and hopes that the bond that had been broken completely will be mended wholly.