Arsenal: Granit Xhaka in need of reassessing, not replacing

Arsenal will be keen to bolster their midfield in the coming transfer windows, but replacing Granit Xhaka defeats the purpose. They need merely to reassess him.

Arsenal nation has not fully rallied behind Granit Xhaka, who was supposed to be the solution to this midfield conundrum. His size and strength has not translated to a midfield pillar. What we have seen instead is a brilliant passer who is sturdy on the ball but a liability in defense.

But we have also seen improvements. Disciplinary problems have evaporated. On the rare day that he merits and early yellow, he is smart enough not to double up with red. He is making less rash tackles and more intelligent regroupings.

Yet, through it all, his defense has not come around. Not to a point that he could be considered a reliable layer in front of the defense.

That said, the calls for him to be replaced with someone like Leon Goretzka are foolish. That solves nothing. We would be in the exact same situation as we are now, with a talented midfielder whose top priority is not defense.

The problem with Xhaka isn’t that he needs to be replaced, it’s that he needs to be reassessed. I wouldn’t doubt if Arsene Wenger intended to turn Xhaka into the enforcer that we wanted while maximizing the beautiful eye for passing that he has.

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But here we are, a year and a half later, and we still have problems staying strong in the midfield. While positive glimmers of solidity have arisen (Tottenham) these are not conclusive enough to bank on it long term.

Instead of replacing anyone, what needs to happen is a good old-fashioned reassessment. Neither Aaron Ramsey nor Xhaka should be out of the starting XI. They both bring far too much to the table, not to mention the fact that Ramsey has been our best player this year.

Xhaka’s ability to crack open a game with one swift slash of a long pass is too valuable to bench, as is his game management, which is comparable to Shkodran Mustafi‘s behind him (if only his defending was similar).

The key is in exploring options. Either a back four that allows us to bolster that midfield, a consistent back three that can cover for the lack of defense in the midfield, or shifting Ramsey forward to allow for a more defensive option to come in alongside Xhaka. These are the keys to success. Selling out on such a crucial batch of skills like the Swiss has is impulsive and counterproductive.

Next: Arsenal's 15 Greatest Strikers Ever

Xhaka is worth building around. Wenger proved that he was willing to build around Ramsey and it worked. Now it’s time to repeat the favor with Xhaka and watch it work again.

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