Football

Granit Xhaka speaks out on Arsenal captaincy following Laurent Koscielny’s pre-season strop


Granit Xhaka is in contention to replace Laurent Koscielny as Arsenal captain next season (Picture: Getty)

Granit Xhaka has stated that the Arsenal captaincy is ‘something special’ amid speculation that he could be handed the armband following Laurent Koscielny’s decision to boycott the club’s pre-season tour of the United States.

Koscielny’s status as Arsenal’s official club captain is under severe threat after he opted against travelling to the United States last Thursday in a bid to force through a move to a French club.

Unai Emery has insisted that the matter will be resolved between Koscielny and the club but hinted that Xhaka could be in line to replace the Frenchman having displayed good leadership skills in the dressing room.

Xhaka was one of Emery’s five captains last season but with Petr Cech and Aaron Ramsey leaving the club, Koscielny looking to do likewise and Mesut Ozil unsure of a regular starting place, the Switzerland international is in pole position.

Laurent Koscielny is Arsenal’s club captain but he wants to leave this summer (Picture: Getty)

Speaking during Arsenal’s pre-season tour, Xhaka said: ‘It is not about the armband. We have to work well together on the pitch, out of the pitch and we have to work together, all of the players.

‘If the club and the coach gives me the armband I will be happy of course. I will be very happy because it is something special. But it’s not my first time because I have been the captain here, I was before in Germany and the national team as well.

‘Our leadership improved last season but this is not something you can change in one day. You need time and in my opinion, we are on a good way to create something special in the team as well.’

Although Xhaka has split opinion amongst Arsenal supporters since joining the club in 2016, he does have good captaincy credentials having skippered his former club Borussia Monchengladbach and Switzerland in the past.

On Arsenal’s captaincy situation, Emery said: ‘At the moment Koscielny has a contract with us but we’ll speak with the club and him about if he will continue or not. We have players with the capacity [to be captain], one is Granit, he was a captain in the dressing room.

‘We have others like Mesut, Nacho. There are other players who can take this position also. I want between three and five captains in the team.’





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