The midfielder completed his move to the Emirates from Borussia Monchengladbach last week and he was set to wear the number 16, but he has now switched to 29 instead
EXTRA TIME
Granit Xhaka has changed his mind at Arsenal… and will now wear the No.29 shirt!
The midfielder joined the club for a reported fee of £35 million last week and initially looked set to wear the No.16 at the Emirates, with previous incumbent Aaron Ramsey taking the No.8 shirt.
However, he has now had a change of heart, and will instead take 29, the reverse of the year of his birth, 1992.
Don’t worry, if you ordered a Xhaka 16 shirt via Arsenal Direct, we’ve got your back – we’ll reprint with Xhaka 29 pic.twitter.com/1EOUVH4ona
— Arsenal FC (@Arsenal) May 31, 2016
Arsenal have pledged that any supporters who bought a shirt emblazoned with Xhaka’s name and previous choice of number will have their shirts automatically reprinted.
The midfielder’s choice may raise a few eyebrows given the chequered history of the number in north London; such luminaries as Marouane Chamakh, Sebastian Larsson, Moritz Volz and Jermaine Pennant have worn the shirt in previous years.