Arsenal: Granit Xhaka will have to have patience for his paradise

Granit Xhaka was promised paradise when he came to Arsenal, but it has not exactly lived up to expectations. There is some assembly required.

Arsenal signed Granit Xhaka with high expectations. People preemptively called him the next Patrick Vieira, which is hardly ever a good idea. When they realized he wasn’t the best tackler and didn’t have much pace, the realization set in and the frustrations came out.

There are still come allowing themselves to be converted to the true value of Xhaka. The Swiss midfielder is a pass master, and intelligent leader and he does not back down. It may not be the exact thing we wanted, but it was certainly something that we needed.

And while our expectations of Xhaka were high, his expectations of the club he was joining were set pretty high as well. Arsene Wenger told him one of the best lines I have ever heard:

“If you want to enjoy football, you have to join us. Here is the paradise.” That is what Xhaka said was the very first sentence he heard from Wenger, as quoted by ESPNFC.

I don’t think this is the paradise that Xhaka was expecting. He is not appreciated, the team is crumbling and the squad may start to splinter and separate by this summer, beckoning in a whole new era at the Emirates.

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But that doesn’t mean that Wenger’s promise will go unfulfilled. Arsenal can absolutely still become a paradise for Xhaka. Wenger obtained him for a reason and if there is one thing I have learned about Xhaka this year, it is that he can be built around.

Surround him with the right minds, get him on the same wavelength as his attackers, and this guy can be a terrifying weapon.

Leave him to fend for himself in a position that does not fit his skill set and he will continue to frustrate supporters.

Xhaka is absolutely a building block for the years to come. While players, big and small, may depart, Xhaka is a centerpiece. He has the facets to make his team mates better. With his passing ability, the right attack can thrive.

Even in this 3-4-3, with Xhaka tucked in front of a back three and flanked out wide, we have started to see him thrive. He is in the control center of the formation and that part of it, at the very least, is working.

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It may not be paradise yet, and maybe that is even a bit unexpected, as this season has been a shock to everyone, but just because Xhaka’s paradise has some assembly required doesn’t mean it’s the end of the world.