Arsenal: Granit Xhaka Requires Further Investment

Arsenal signed Granit Xhaka to be a game changing, all-inclusive midfielder, but it’s looking like further investment may be necessary to get the most out of him.

Arsenal had been without a true bruising midfielder for a decade when they brought in Granit Xhaka to much applause. Naturally, some fans took it a bit too far, calling him the next Patrick Vieira before he had even donned a kit.

That comparison was never going to work in the sense of how they play, but it can still work in their impact. Xhaka is still young and he is still showing plenty of reason to get behind him as a long-term solution.

The problem is that he needs someone next to him to help maximize what he is able to do. Seeing him next to Santi Cazorla and then next to Francis Coquelin is like night and day. It’s brilliance vs ineptitude. And it is a stark difference that cannot be ignored or brushed off.

Xhaka and Coquelin combined completely separate the defense from the attack. Neither one is particularly good at driving the ball forward. Especially not Coquelin, who is a massive liability on the ball.

Xhaka needs that pivot next to him to be at his best. We saw a brief resurgence to his best when Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain slotted in next to him, but the Ox’s inexperience at the position left the team exposed at times.

Again though, with Santi Cazorla, Xhaka looked rock solid.

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Can we take a hint? And that’s a real question, because I don’t think we can. Xhaka’s pace is enough to hold back his ability to do everything on his own, but when you pair him with Cazorla or a more seasoned Ox, he doesn’t have to.

The problem, therefore, is that Cazorla is an injury machine lately and the Ox is somehow still not trusted enough to do the central role.

The rest of the season could bring about anything. I worry what Xhaka won’t have a proper partner for the rest of the year and that will drive support for the Swiss midfielder way down. But this summer, no matter who is in charge, there has to be an investment in this midfield to give Xhaka a partner that will unlock mutual support.

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As it stands, he isn’t enough by himself, and that’s not a slight on him. The Premier League is tough and he is still young and learning it. But that whole process can be streamlined with a little added spice next to him.

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