Arsenal Put On Edge With Granit Xhaka Statement

Arsenal have reportedly been in hot pursuit of Granit Xhaka since January but his recent statements may spell heartbreak for Arsenal supporters.

Granit Xhaka seemed like the perfect solution for Arsenal in January. The team was desperate for a defensive midfielder to couple with Francis Coquelin and help cope with his injury and everyone else seemed out of reach. But Xhaka was right there saying how much he dreamed of coming to England.

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When it was established that he would not jump ship midseason, everyone looked towards the summer. It looked to be a duel between Liverpool and Arsenal to land the £37m man. Of course, given the recent financial activity of Stan Kroenke, that price may be a bit too much. After all, we can’t expect him to buy the ranch and not furnish it. £37m can buy him a really nice dinette set.

Anyways, Xhaka still seemed to be a pretty likely target. He even joked about how he was going to fight Francis Coquelin for his number when he came to Arsenal. It was like he was taunting Arsenal supporters without even knowing it.

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By that token, Xhaka’s recent interview with Blick may have Arsenal supporters a bit fidgety. For starters, the Swiss midfielder again declared his dream of making it to the Premier League. However, this time it was not Arsenal he focused on, but another team in England. Here are his words:

“It is hard to say no when Manchester City wants you and you can play there,” he said.

Now, before we hit the panic button, let’s consider the optimistic alternative. Yes, City buy everyone under the sun and yes, Pep Guardiola is coming to town and with him, enough hype to power a small city. But this could also be a classic case of picking a random team from the EPL for his hypothetical scenario.

Xhaka has only been heavily linked to Arsenal and Chelsea. Manchester City have barely even entered the equation. So while he may be hinting that he would like for them to enter the equation, he may also simply be laying out a scenario.

Whatever the case, it sounds like Xhaka is coming to the Premier League – and soon. Arsenal still need a defensive midfielder, but Wenger is never going to buy a sit back and defend midfielder. Good thing that is not what Xhaka is.

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Granit Xhaka is more traditionally used in a box to box role, where his defensive clout is utilized when defending the attack, but at the same time, his ability to push the attack forward is just as vital.

Wenger signed Mohamed Elneny for the exact same purpose in January, so any potential move for Xhaka may be put off, but again we must consider the three exits that will be happening this summer. Not only that, but it is not a guarantee that just because Arsenal sign someone, they have to go straight to starting. Arsenal is a prestigious club and there is plenty of appeal to join and fight for a place.

Xhaka has has been busy in the Bundesliga, compiling three goals, five yellow cards and three red cards on the year (via WhoScored). He’s like the double threat, he can score goals and invoke a bit more of a threat from the base of Arsenal’s midfield. The potential combination of him and Coquelin, either in the same midfield or competing for the same spot, is tantalizing and something that would benefit Arsenal immensely.

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This move is still very much a possibility. Whatever happens, we will be seeing him at the Emirates, most likely as soon as next season. Whether that be for every home match or just once a year, only time will tell.