Arsenal: Granit Xhaka, Shkodran Mustafi Were Only The Beginning

Arsenal landed two very vocal, very gritty players last summer in Granit Xhaka and Shkodran Mustafi, but it looks like they may have only been the start.

Arsenal’s story during the debt days, and even in the years that followed, was pretty easy to pick out. They had a very soft core and they didn’t have a lot of vocal players. Francis Coquelin was like a Godsend for his ability to be mean alone. No one else seemed tough enough for a league that always required toughness.

And when chances came to sign players that would have fixed that (Grzegorz Krychowiak, Victor Wanyama), Arsene Wenger passed for small, technical, soft players.

That narrative took a huge hit last summer when Wenger found two players who were the outspoken, gritty players we had been craving.

Shkodran Mustafi was the upgrade to Per Mertesacker and the new German has been exactly what we thought. He is a commander on the pitch and isn’t afraid to take on challenges and lay down the law.

Say what you will about Granit Xhaka, but he is in the same boat. He is capable of leading the masses and he has a mean streak as well, albeit harnessing it may be necessary.

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These two were a great step towards fixing the plush core of this side, but they clearly weren’t enough. This year proved that. Even with the on-field leaders like Mustafi, Xhaka and Alexis, the team failed. And that may partially be due to the former two being new and not in leadership positions yet.

Still, the standard is set for Wenger’s changing vision. Mustafi and Xhaka will both grow into leaders at this club.

It’s looking like that narrative is continuing with Sead Kolasinac, another guy who is tough, vocal, and just plain not afraid.

Could that possibly mean that, after putting up with so many years of getting pushed around by physically stronger sides, Wenger finally gets it? I don’t know about you, but having now three guys that don’t back down fills me with joy and optimism and it is the first step in making up for the gross lack of this exact type in years past.

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Of course, as it normally goes with Wenger, we have to wonder why he couldn’t have done this sooner, but there is no point in looking backwards. All we can do is move forward and thanks to these types of signings, that will be a hell of a lot easier.

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