JOSE MOURINHO’S Roma are reportedly preparing to reignite their interest in Granit Xhaka after almost signing him last summer.
The Arsenal midfielder was strongly linked with a switch to Serie A but the two clubs couldn’t decide on a fee.
Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka remains a reported target for RomaCredit: Getty
Calciomercato report the Italians are plotting another swoop for the 29-year-old ace 12 months on.
And Arsenal’s decision to trigger a one-year extension to Xhaka’s contract will not deter the Serie A side in their efforts.
Negotiations are set to resume in the upcoming transfer window, although it’s not clear whether the Gunners have increased or decreased their valuation from last summer.
Mourinho immediately identified Xhaka as a target after being appointed at Roma, but the club failed to meet Arsenal’s £12.5million valuation.
And he’s remained ‘very close in the thoughts’ of the Special One over the course of the ongoing season.
It’s further claimed by that Xhaka and Mourinho ‘want to find each other’ second time around having been originally denied the chance to work together.
The bizarre incident at the weekend which saw Xhaka snub the Arsenal captain’s armband in the victory over Brentford only added to the speculation surrounding his future.
Eddie Nketiah went to give the armband to Switzerland international Xhaka, who was stripped of the captaincy in November 2019, after Alexandre Lacazette was subbed off.
But Xhaka told Nketiah to hold on to the armband and then give it to Kieran Tierney – the person next in line for it – as a throw-in was about to be taken.
Although boss Mikel Arteta played that down as simply a mix-up between his players.
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