Report: Unai Emery Names Granit Xhaka Permanent Arsenal Captain

Arsenal manager Unai Emery has reportedly named midfielder Granit Xhaka as the new permanent captain of the club. 

Per BBC Sport's David Ornstein, the Switzerland international has already worn the captain's armband six times this season. He added the vice-captaincy is still undecided between Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang:

Per the Telegraph's Sam Dean, Rob Holding praised the 27-year-old in the lead-up to the decision:

Xhaka has been at Arsenal since 2016, joining from Bundesliga side Borussia Monchengladbach. His time at the Emirates Stadium has been filled with ups and downs, with a lack of consistency his biggest issue.

According to The Athletic's Amy Lawrence, he can be a divisive figure:

Arsenal needed a new captain after selling Laurent Koscielny to Bordeaux in controversial circumstances in the summer.

The Frenchman refused to travel to the United States with the team for their summer tour, and then angered some fans by taking off an Arsenal shirt in his official reveal:

Longtime full-back Nacho Monreal also left the club this summer, returning to Spain to join Real Sociedad.

That left the Gunners short of veteran, experienced potential captains who have been around for a long time. Hector Bellerin has been at the club since 2013 and could have been an option, while Holding has also steadily increased his standing with the team.

Xhaka's availability likely played a part: The midfielder has played at least 28 Premier League matches in every season he has spent in north London, while both Bellerin and Holding missed the start of the campaign with long-term injuries.

Having already worn the captain's armband for the bulk of this season's matches, it should come as no surprise Emery has now made the move official. He'll likely be in action on Monday, when the Gunners visit Manchester United.