Former Premier League player and BBC pundit Alan Hutton has shared his praise for Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka amid talks of a potential new contract at the north London club.
Last month, it was reported that the north London club are in talks with the midfielder over a new two-year contract extension, with his current contract set to expire in the summer of 2024.
This has led to one former top-flight figure sharing his views on the situation and the player himself.
Speaking to Football Insider, Hutton had this to say about Xhaka and the reports claiming Arsenal are looking to tie him down to a new deal.
He said: “I think it is an amazing turnaround and it just shows you what type of guy he is. He is a fighter, he is willing to put in the hard yards to show everybody that he is more than capable.
“The midfield at Arsenal at the moment really suits him. The likes of [Thomas] Partey, Jorginho, it frees him up a bit to go and play a bit further forward. So it would not surprise me if they offer him a new contract and he stays for a number of years.
“You get that good feel factor about you again from being so low, and I felt it when I was at Aston Villa, to turning it around. Ultimately they are fighting for the Premier League so it is somewhere you want to be.
“Arteta is building something special there so you would want to be part of that.”
Back in November 2019, Xhaka felt the fury of many Arsenal fans after reacting badly to getting booed off the pitch at the Emirates by supporters as he was substituted during a 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace.
This led to him revealing that he almost left the club due to the hatred he was receiving from the fans.
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Now though, the 30-year-old has been a vital player for Mikel Arteta, having started all 25 of their Premier League games, scoring three goals and providing five assists in the process.
His overall league performances have earned the midfielder a season rating of 6.93/10 from WhoScored, making him the seventh-highest rated player at Arsenal, showing that he has repaid the faith Arteta has put in him.
Taking all of this into account, it’s easy to see why the club are apparently looking to extend Xhaka’s deal and why Hutton has shared this praise for the player considering the frosty situation he found himself in some years ago.