Arsenal: Unai Emery forgot one player in his plans for the future

Unai Emery made it clear who he wanted to build this Arsenal club around – Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Aaron Ramsey. But he forgot one.

Arsenal have a man with a plan, and nothing beats that. Unai Emery reportedly wowed the Gunners so much in his interview process with his in-depth knowledge of the club and how to move it forward, that he won the job unanimously.

In the chatter, it was revealed that he plans on building around Aaron Ramsey and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, which is quite the astute selection. Ramsey needs a new deal, but as soon as that is achieved (it could be any day now), then you have a long-term captain.

And I don’t need to say much about Aubameyang. He was fantastic, he is elite, and that will not change. It will only get better with Emery calling the shots.

These are two fantastic guys to single out, but Emery forgot one – Granit Xhaka.

I can hear the moaning and groaning already, “you need to shut up about Xhaka, already,” you may be saying. And if you are, allow me to retaliate with a good, old-fashioned “shut up,” because Xhaka is a foundation is ever there was one.

More from Pain in the Arsenal

What you get in Xhaka, you don’t get from many others, if any. You get someone who dictates the tempo of the game, while also being capable of splitting a defense open in one fell swoop with his superb passing abilities.

No one takes more touches than Xhaka and, more and more, he is making those touches count. No Arsenal midfielder passed the ball forward more than Xhaka, and seeing as how that used to be a primary criticism of him, it’s clear that improvements are being made.

Which makes the foundation even more promising, because not only is he reliable for what he currently does, but what he currently does is expanding by definition. He can defend better, he can tackle better, he drives forward with the ball better, and he loses possession less and less. It’s a fantastic situation to be in.

Especially seeing as how the midfield is a massive question mark. Having someone reliable like Xhaka as a foundation piece counts as someone you can build around. Even if Emery doesn’t know it yet.

Next: 3 Reasons To Sell Danny Welbeck

Not to mention that he is only 25 years old, so he is only now getting into his prime, which, as we are about to see next year, is going to be pretty damn spectacular.

Home/Arsenal News