Arsenal: Granit Xhaka proclamation much different than Mesut Ozil’s

Arsenal have now had two potentially salable stars clinging to life at the Emirates, but Granit Xhaka’s “cling” holds stronger than Mesut Ozil’s.

Arsenal have a lot of cleaning to do this summer in order to prepare the house for its new residents, and there are a ton of names being bandied about as candidates to make way for an infusion of new talent.

Mesut Ozil and Granit Xhaka are two of those players rumored to be salable. And yet, both players have demonstratively played down any potential talk of an exit and declared their loyalty and happiness at the club. But that’s never the end of the story, is it?

Both players have a very different foundation to stand on when it comes to their claims, despite the fact that both have numerous years left on their contract and both have spent enough time at the club to really call it home.

The big difference comes in viability to the cause. With Unai Emery coming in, ready to remake this club with new ideas and get it away from the dated principles of Arsene Wenger, we have to ask what players can contribute to that cause, and which players can’t.

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Mesut Ozil can’t. Ozil has spent five years trying to fit in at then Emirates, and I’d say, all combined, he’s managed about one year of effective play. Being effective 20% of the time does not verify a stay, and no matter how happy you are, it’s time to step away and try your luck somewhere else.

Granit Xhaka, on the other hand, is a much different story. Xhaka has improved every single year he’s been here. This past season was almost a perfect display from him until he got hurt towards the end of the year and struggled to come back from the injury.

But Xhaka has prospects of a bright future here. He has embedded himself as a necessary presence in this midfield, such that to remove him would incur countless stresses that the club really doesn’t need to be thinking about right now.

If you plucked Ozil from the first team picture, on the other hand, only the fanboys would really notice. He hasn’t been a key part of this offense in a long, long time.

Two players, one message – they want to stay at the club. But only one of them has the foundation to have actually earned the stay.