Granit Xhaka has had a dig at Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang when praising the captaincy of Arsenal teammate Alexandre Lacazette.

Aubameyang was sacked as skipper in part over poor timekeeping.

Lacazette's deal at the Emirates, meanwhile, is set to expire at the end of the season, with L'Equipe reporting that he is looking for a longer offer than the one-year extension the Gunners are currently offering.

But regardless of speculation over his future, Xhaka, who lost the captaincy himself in 2019, has backed the striker to continue leading the side moving forward.

“At the moment Laca is our captain and I am more than happy for him," he told the Athletic. "He is a very important person for us on and off the pitch. He is a lovely boy. He has a lot of respect from other players and a lot of experience over the years.

"I believe you need a player like this. He is always here. He is never too late. A lot of discipline. He is a funny guy. He is very open and you can speak with him whenever you want. I believe at the moment he is the right person to be our captain."