Arsenal star's brother will 'do everything' to make him leave the Emirates

Suraj Radia

• 27 Feb 2023 16:34 GMT
• 2 min read

The brother of Granit Xhaka has vowed to ‘do everything’ to get the Arsenal midfielder to leave the Emirates and join him at his boyhood club FC Basel.

Both Xhaka siblings came through the youth academy at Basel and, while the elder Taulant has spent his entire career with the Swiss side, Granit played just 42 games with the club before moving to Gladbach in Germany.

Xhaka’s contract at Arsenal expires next summer and, while the 30-year-old has been an integral part of Mikel Arteta’s team this season, he has often proven a divisive figure between fans and may consider leaving towards the end of his deal.

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Taulant revealed he is desperate for the pair to link up in Basel colours before their careers are over and the 31-year-old admitted that both brothers had spoken about the prospect.

“We often talk about it,” Taulant told Blick. “He is tied to Arsenal until 2024, maybe he will extend for another year. But then it would be possible, but he would have to come in 2026 at the latest.

“He also wants to play for the FCB again, together with me. Even if it’s only for ten minutes: I’ll do everything for that.”

Xhaka brothers looking to reunite either on or off the pitch

Xhaka is in his seventh year with Arsenal, having made more than 280 appearances for the club in all competitions and captaining the Gunners under previous boss Unai Emery.

The Swiss international has endured controversy during his time in North London, in particular in 2019 when he swore at fans who had booed him due to his poor displays.

The incident saw Xhaka stripped of his captaincy and he was even on the verge of leaving the club, however he has since recaptured his best form, grabbing three goals and five assists to help Arsenal to push for the Premier League title this season.

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Taulant Xhaka, meanwhile, has struggled with injury in recent years and said he would like to become a coach in the future, even commenting on a potential link-up with his brother on the sidelines.

When asked which brother would be the assistant and which would be the leader, he said: “Clearly Granit [would be] the boss. He already thinks like a coach today. I'm the easy-going type, always up for a joke - and would therefore be the ideal connection between Granit and the players.”