Report: Granit Xhaka named as Arsenal’s new club captain

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Granit Xhaka will be Arsenal’s new club captain for the 2019/20 campaign, according to BBC Sport.

It is a vote of confidence for the midfielder who has come under fire this season from the club’s supporters following a series of abject performances.

The 27-year-old will now wear the strap for the remainder of the season, with boss Unai Emery still considering who his vice-captain will be.

The report suggests that Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette are leading candidates to deputise in Xhaka’s absence.

The Gunners face Manchester United on Monday night in a crunch game at Old Trafford. Xhaka is expected to return to the midfield after sitting out the Carabao Cup game against Nottingham Forest.

Given how much scrutiny his performance have come under this season, this move hasn’t delighted the club’s supporters.

The Switzerland star now seems certain to be a mainstay in Emery’s team, with Xhaka coming out on top of a vote by the players to determine the club’s next skipper.

Xhaka signed for Arsenal in 2016 for a fee in the region of £30 million. Since arriving he has scored 11 goals and registered 16 assists in 140 appearances for the Gunners.

This latest announcement hasn’t gone down too well, however, and we looked at a selection of tweets from Arsenal fans regarding the latest announcement:

https://twitter.com/jonjarvis/status/1177530291411398656

https://twitter.com/Roryarsenal/status/1177528323657949184

https://twitter.com/hunree/status/1177528981740040192

https://twitter.com/SafisanaTv/status/1177530061999656960

https://twitter.com/adityagunner1/status/1177533600868093952