Unai Emery insists he “trusts and believes” in Granit Xhaka after confirming the midfielder is the new Arsenal captain.
The Switzerland international has worn the armband in six of Arsenal’s opening eight games of the season but Emery had delayed announcing his decision, allowing his players to blind vote on their preference as skipper.
Emery prefers to have a leadership group made up of five players and the Spaniard revealed that Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Hector Bellerin, Alexandre Lacazette and Mesut Ozil will be his other captains, in that order, should Xhaka not play.
Xhaka, 27, was jeered by sections of the Emirates Stadium as he was substituted in Sunday’s 3-2 win over Aston Villa but Emery, who defended Xhaka following that incident, believes the high regard in which he is held among his team-mates can be replicated among the fanbase.
“I talked to him and we want to change that opinion outside because the respect he has inside is very important,” Emery said.
1/10 Arsenal winter transfer targets
Josh Kroenke has promised Arsenal plan to be ‘proactive’ in the winter transfer market. But who could they sign?
Getty
2/10 Wilfried Zaha
Arsenal have not completely given up on prizing Wilfried Zaha away from Crystal Palace. He won’t come cheap … but for the right price Palace may be tempted to cash in, particularly if the 26-year-old fails to impress in the first half of the season.
Getty Images
3/10 Eduardo Camavinga
The 16-year-old – who enjoyed a breakthrough performance against PSG in Ligue 1 last weekend – is also a target for Manchester United, City and Tottenham. Arsenal could attempt to replicate their William Saliba deal with Saint-Étienne by signing Camavinga and then immediately loaning him back to current club, Rennes.
AFP/Getty Images
4/10 Dayot Upamecano
If Josh Kroenke is true to his word, and his family do back the club in the winter market, than 20-year-old defender Dayot Upamecano is surely the first player they will attempt to sign. Arsenal came close to landing him this summer, only to balk at Leipzig’s £55m price tag having so recently spent a club-record £72m on Nicolas Pepe.
Bongarts/Getty Images
5/10 Samuel Umtiti
Arsenal will monitor the first half of the 25-year-old’s season at Barcelona very closely. The defender’s 2018/19 season was hampered by injury and Unai Emery has gone on record about how much he rates the World Cup winner.
Icon Sport via Getty Images
6/10 Daniele Rugani
Juventus are desperate to get rid of the defender as they scramble to balance the books ahead of this week’s Italian transfer deadline. If they fail to offload Rugani he will certainly be available in the winter, and could make a good cut-price solution if Arsenal do indeed manage to sell Shkodran Mustafi this month.
AFP/Getty Images
7/10 Robert Arboleda
Arsenal came very close to signing the Ecuador international Robert Arboleda from São Paulo on transfer deadline day, instead snapping up David Luiz. But if they are short in defence in five months time, the 27-year-old would make a sensible purchase, especially considering his club were willing to sell.
AFP/Getty Images
8/10 Fagner Conserva
Another South American defender that Arsenal have preciously explored signing, that they could move for if necessary in January. Plays for Edu’s former club Corinthians, which would help speed up any deal.
AP
9/10 Everton
Arsenal seriously explored signing the 23-year-old Brazil international this summer, but were deterred by his rapidly escalating price tag. But if they are backed by Josh Kroenke this winter, could they return for the Grêmio star? A move to Europe surely beckons for the electric forward, who won the 2019 Copa América top scorer award this summer.
REUTERS
10/10 Toby Alderweireld
The Spurs defender will be available to negotiate a free transfer to another club from January. Could Arsenal snap him up? It’s happened once before…
Getty Images
1/10 Arsenal winter transfer targets
Josh Kroenke has promised Arsenal plan to be ‘proactive’ in the winter transfer market. But who could they sign?
Getty
2/10 Wilfried Zaha
Arsenal have not completely given up on prizing Wilfried Zaha away from Crystal Palace. He won’t come cheap … but for the right price Palace may be tempted to cash in, particularly if the 26-year-old fails to impress in the first half of the season.
Getty Images
3/10 Eduardo Camavinga
The 16-year-old – who enjoyed a breakthrough performance against PSG in Ligue 1 last weekend – is also a target for Manchester United, City and Tottenham. Arsenal could attempt to replicate their William Saliba deal with Saint-Étienne by signing Camavinga and then immediately loaning him back to current club, Rennes.
AFP/Getty Images
4/10 Dayot Upamecano
If Josh Kroenke is true to his word, and his family do back the club in the winter market, than 20-year-old defender Dayot Upamecano is surely the first player they will attempt to sign. Arsenal came close to landing him this summer, only to balk at Leipzig’s £55m price tag having so recently spent a club-record £72m on Nicolas Pepe.
Bongarts/Getty Images
5/10 Samuel Umtiti
Arsenal will monitor the first half of the 25-year-old’s season at Barcelona very closely. The defender’s 2018/19 season was hampered by injury and Unai Emery has gone on record about how much he rates the World Cup winner.
Icon Sport via Getty Images
6/10 Daniele Rugani
Juventus are desperate to get rid of the defender as they scramble to balance the books ahead of this week’s Italian transfer deadline. If they fail to offload Rugani he will certainly be available in the winter, and could make a good cut-price solution if Arsenal do indeed manage to sell Shkodran Mustafi this month.
AFP/Getty Images
7/10 Robert Arboleda
Arsenal came very close to signing the Ecuador international Robert Arboleda from São Paulo on transfer deadline day, instead snapping up David Luiz. But if they are short in defence in five months time, the 27-year-old would make a sensible purchase, especially considering his club were willing to sell.
AFP/Getty Images
8/10 Fagner Conserva
Another South American defender that Arsenal have preciously explored signing, that they could move for if necessary in January. Plays for Edu’s former club Corinthians, which would help speed up any deal.
AP
9/10 Everton
Arsenal seriously explored signing the 23-year-old Brazil international this summer, but were deterred by his rapidly escalating price tag. But if they are backed by Josh Kroenke this winter, could they return for the Grêmio star? A move to Europe surely beckons for the electric forward, who won the 2019 Copa América top scorer award this summer.
REUTERS
10/10 Toby Alderweireld
The Spurs defender will be available to negotiate a free transfer to another club from January. Could Arsenal snap him up? It’s happened once before…
Getty Images
“But also to show outside, keep moving ahead, playing, improving, behaviour, commitment and in each match is for him, me and for everybody a very good opportunity to show his capacity.
“But really, I trust and believe in him. He is a good man, good professional, good player.”
