Arsenal midfielder, Granit Xhaka, in action for Switzerland. (imago Images)
According to a report by CBS Sports (h/t The Express), Arsenal are looking to raise transfer funds by selling three players, including Granit Xhaka. The Gunners seem like they want a major squad overhaul after a poor season and there have already been a number of outgoings this season.
Hector Bellerin and Reiss Nelson are the other two players that the Premier League side want to sell as the Swiss midfielder is linked with a move to AS Roma. Their decision to sell Xhaka makes sense. Let’s see how.
Granit Xhaka has been at Arsenal for a long time. While the 28-year-old started in 29 league games this season, he has not really made any remarkable impact considering he has just one goal and 2 assists from midfield. Yes, he has mostly played as a holding midfielder in a double pivot this season, but Arsenal haven’t done well defensively too.
They have let in more than one goal per game in the Premier League while Xhaka has himself consistently been involved in errors on the pitch. In fact, he leads the list for most goals conceded from direct errors in the past 5 years (as of March 2021).
Moreover, his disciplinary record is also shabby. While it is understandable why a defensive midfielder would be more exposed to bookings, Xhaka just gets cautioned and sent off far too often, showing that either his judgement and/or tackling is not the best at times.
Thomas Partey was signed from Atletico Madrid for an impressive £45million fee. And since then, the Ghanaian midfielder has always played as a defensive midfielder. Xhaka, on the other hand, has played as a central midfielder, as a holding midfielder, and even as a left-back.
His role in the team was also questioned by Graeme Souness earlier this season who, speaking on Sky Sports (h/t football.london), said he wasn’t sure of where exactly Xhaka plays in the Arsenal set-up.
“As a holding central midfielder, I’m not sure what Xhaka is – he’s been here six or seven years – I’m not quite sure what he is.”
Arsenal’s intent to sell him, as cited in the report, indicates that they are seeking to upgrade in midfield. And considering Souness’ observations above, it would be good for Mikel Arteta to bring in a midfielder whose role could be more well defined in the team.
There are a number of targets such as the highly-rated Ruben Neves of Wolves as well as Yves Bissouma and Sander Berge. The Gunners, on the other hand, are thought to value Xhaka somewhere between £15-20million. And hence, if they can get somewhere near that amount, Arteta could have a decent chunk of money to invest in upgrades.
