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Arsenal signs Mönchengladbach captain Granit Xhaka

From Wikinews, the free news source you can write!

Wednesday, May 25, 2016

Today, London-based football club Arsenal announced signing 23-year-old Swiss midfielder Granit Xhaka from German club Borussia Mönchengladbach. The Swiss international has made 41 appearances for Switzerland and joined the German side from FC Basel, his childhood club, in 2012.

File photo of Granit Xhaka
Image: Fanny Schertzer.
I cannot wait to move to London, represent this special club and play in the Premier League.

—Granit Xhaka

Xhaka said, "I cannot wait to move to London, represent this special club and play in the Premier League." Xhaka made about 140 appearances for Borussia. He captained Mönchengladbach last season when their side came fourth in the league table and qualified for the UEFA Champions League. He won two Swiss Super League titles with Basel.

Xhaka has passed his medical tests and is to join The Gunners after the Euro 2016 tournament with his contract in force from July 1. "Granit Xhaka is an exciting young player," said Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger, "already with good Champions League and Bundesliga experience." Borussia's sporting director Max Eberl said, "We’re losing a very, very good player, but the agreed transfer fee provides us with the opportunity to make sensible additions to our squad" ((de))German language: ‍Wir verlieren einen sehr, sehr guten Spieler, aber wir haben mit der erzielten Ablösesumme die Möglichkeit, unsere Mannschaft weiter sinnvoll zu ergänzen.

Xhaka's transfer fee was not disclosed.


Sources