Football
Mattias Karen, Arsenal correspondent 8y

Granit Xhaka to wear Arsenal No. 16 shirt, Alex Iwobi takes over No. 17

New Arsenal signing Granit Xhaka may have to get a different tattoo after being given the No. 16 shirt for next season.

Xhaka wore 34 at his previous club Borussia Moenchengladbach and has that number tattooed on his back. But 34 is already taken by Francis Coquelin at Arsenal, and the Switzerland midfielder will instead use 16 after it was vacated by Aaron Ramsey on Thursday.

Ramsey is taking over the No. 8 shirt from the retiring Mikel Arteta as one of several updates to the Arsenal team sheet for next season, with Alexis Sanchez inheriting the No. 7 shirt from Tomas Rosicky.

The number rotation continued further as Arsenal also announced that Alex Iwobi will take over No. 17 instead of the 45 he wore during his breakthrough season, when he emerged as a regular first-team player.

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