Granit Xhaka Wages & Contract
| Year | Club | Weekly Salary | Annual Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023/24 | Arsenal | £100,000 | £5,200,000 |
| 2022/23 | Arsenal | £100,000 | £5,200,000 |
| 2021/22 | Arsenal | £100,000 | £5,200,000 |
| 2020/21 | Arsenal | £100,000 | £5,200,000 |
| 2019/20 | Arsenal | £100,000 | £5,200,000 |
| 2018/19 | Arsenal | £100,000 | £5,200,000 |
| 2017/18 | Arsenal | £100,000 | £5,200,000 |
| 2016/17 | Arsenal | £100,000 | £5,200,000 |
Granit Xhaka plays in central midfield for Arsenal Football Club. He grew up in Switzerland and began his footballing career with the Concordia Basel academy when he was 5 years old. Concordia Basel is a feeder club for FC Basel and both him and his brother, Taulant moved over in 2002 when Granit was 10.
Xhaka progressed well throughout his teenage years until he endured his cruciate ligament injury when he was 16 years old. At that time he reflected on whether he should continue pursuing football or start an apprenticeship for a different career.
Fortunately, he recovered and at the age of 17 was training with the first team. He would go on to play for Basel's first team in the 2010/11 season and gradually became a talisman in their midfield. Scouts in Europe began to notice his performances and in 2012 he signed a 5-year deal with Borussia Mönchengladbach.
Xhaka spent the next four years in the Bundesliga refining his game and by the time he left, he was club Captain. After many fixtures with top clubs in the Champions League, Xhaka’s talent was well-known and in 2016 Arsenal had a £35 million bid accepted for the Swiss international.
Xhaka joined the club towards the end of the Wenger era. In his first full season with the club, he managed to win the FA Cup. His leadership ability would give him the opportunity to become club captain just two years later during Unai Emery’s reign as manager.
Xhaka has garnered a reputation as a competitive and passionate player. These traits sometimes result in him being on the wrong side of the rules. He is a player who isn’t afraid of putting in a challenge and this has resulted in some red cards. In his first season with the club, he recorded the joint-highest number of red cards received by a player in the league but has managed to get more of a handle on this part of his game in recent seasons.
Xhaka has experienced ups and downs with Arsenal who have been trying to find a replacement for Arsène Wenger, a manager who had been with the club for 22 years. Xhaka stuck with the club and has begun to flourish in recent years under the guidance of Mikel Arteta.
Xhaka has also made a name for himself on the international stage. When he got the international call-up he was unsure whether to play for Switzerland or Albania. He was born in Switzerland but his parents both have Albanian heritage. The Swiss Football Association showed a strong interest in him and Albania were more reserved which perhaps made his decision easier. He has gone on to represent Switzerland in the Euros and World Cup and become a mainstay in his country's midfield. Xhaka’s ability to lead led to him becoming captain in 2020, a role he described as a “dream come true”.
