Arsenal are confident that Granit Xhaka will sign a new contract soon, Fabrizio Romano reports.

What's the latest transfer news involving Granit Xhaka?

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta stated at the weekend that he wants to keep the Swiss international at the club.

"Granit Xhaka is going to stay with us. He is a key member of our squad," Arteta said as quoted by Talksport

What has Fabrizio Romano said about Xhaka?

Transfer expert Romano has taken to Twitter to update Arsenal fans about Xhaka's future. The 28-year-old, who is rated as being worth £19.8m by Transfermarkt, is out of contract in 2023.

Romano reports that Arsenal want to extend that deal, and have offered Xhaka a new contract that will last until 2025 with an increased salary. The club are confident that an agreement on the new contract will be reached soon.

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Romano also claims that Arsenal turned down a bid of €12m (£10.26m) + €3m (£2.57m) in add-ons from Roma for Xhaka.

As GIVEMESPORT previously covered, Romano reported that Roma were confident of signing Xhaka in the current transfer window, and stated that talks had been ongoing between the clubs for a while.

But now it seems that Xhaka's future is still in London, with Arsenal keen to retain his services.

Fab Romano reports that Arsenal are confident that Granit Xhaka will sign the new contract he has been offered by the club

Why are Arsenal handing Xhaka a new deal?

Xhaka was regular in the Arsenal side last season, making 41 appearances in all competitions. That shows Arteta is a fan of the midfielder, as he picked him in the team for most of the campaign.

What may have influenced Arsenal's decision to offer the player a new contract is shown by WhoScored.

Xhaka made the most Premier League tackles in the Gunners side last season, with an average of 1.6 per game. The midfielder also topped the list of passes made per game at 70.6.

His successful pass percentage was also high - the third-best in the squad with 90.2%.

Xhaka's ability to win and successfully recycle the ball in the middle of the park could be a major reason why he has been offered a new deal by Arsenal. 

Do Arsenal no longer need to sign a midfielder?

If Xhaka does sign a new contract then it perhaps takes away Arsenal's need to sign a new midfielder. Transfermarkt shows that Arsenal currently have six players who can play in that position, including the Swiss international.

If Xhaka were to leave Arsenal then it would make sense to bring another midfielder in. But should the former Basel man sign his new deal - and Romano reports that the club are confident that he will - then there is less need for midfield reinforcements. 

That perhaps diminishes the chances of Arsenal signing the likes of Boubacar Kamara, Glen Kamara and Ruben Neves, who have all been linked with the club recently.