Granit Xhaka (born 27 September 1992) is a Swiss professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for English club Arsenal. Swiss national manager Ottmar Hitzfeld once dubbed him the "young Schweinsteiger", while former Arsenal defender Johan Djourou has praised his tackling, versatility, and physicality, also comparing his passing range to that of Andrea Pirlo. Xhaka began his career at hometown club Basel, winning the Swiss Super League in both of his seasons. He then moved to Bundesliga team Borussia Mönchengladbach in 2012, playing 140 official games and scoring nine goals.