Arsenal are in the market for another midfield player this summer as they look to replace the influence of Granit Xhaka at the Emirates Stadium.
Who would have expected Granit Xhaka to become so difficult to replace at Arsenal?
Xhaka always had quality in his locker but was often criticised for being rash in the tackle and his Arsenal career appeared to be over after a spat with his own fan in 2019.
The Swiss midfielder knuckled down, got the fans back on his side and ended up leaving a hero when the time came to leave.
Xhaka moved on to Bayer Leverkusen for £21.5million last summer and Arsenal’s attempts to replace him have been a little unconvincing so far.
Kai Havertz was tried there but is better off in attack whilst fellow summer signing Declan Rice has split his time between holding midfield and a more advanced role.
Fabio Vieira has yet to really explode as an Arsenal player and Xhaka has taken his game to another level in Germany.
Granit Xhaka praised by Germany media
Xhaka immediately became a key man for Xabi Alonso and helped Leverkusen enjoy a simply incredible season.
Leverkusen went through a completely unbeaten domestic season, winning both the Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal without losing a game.
Their only defeat in all competitions was in the Europa League final, meaning Xhaka was so close to an unbeaten treble.
Xhaka understandably claims to miss Arsenal but he has enjoyed quite the ride in his first year with Leverkusen.
The 31-year-old was outstanding at Euro 2024 too and few are really in any doubt of Xhaka’s elite-level qualities.
Kicker have now ranked Xhaka as their top defensive midfielder in the Bundesliga – even if he is just short of their ‘world class’ category.
They suggest that Xhaka’s consistent excellence means there is no debate – he is ‘number one’ in the Bundesliga.
Kicker did note that his performances in the second half of the season were slightly worse than his teammate Exequiel Palacios, but that Xhaka still deserves to be the top dog in German football.
“Week after week, he has consistently demonstrated at a very high level how important he is as a key player for Xabi Alonso’s team. There is no question for the kicker editors that the spirited Swiss will remain number one, just like in the winter, even if his average marks in the league are slightly worse than those of his teammate Palacios,” they wrote.
Arsenal seek Xhaka replacement
That just goes to show the kind of player Arsenal have lost.
Arsenal just haven’t quite found the ideal replacement for Xhaka just yet and that could be resolved this summer.
HITC understands that Arsenal are interested in signing Real Sociedad star Mikel Merino.
An experienced, left-footed midfield player with a great passing range and the ability to make a difference going forward, you can certainly understand why Arsenal view Merino as a Xhaka replacement.
It’s a high bar to live up to but having already struck up a strong bond with Martin Odegaard from their time together at Real Sociedad, Marino could be the man for Arsenal as Xhaka prepares for another big season with Leverkusen.
The post ‘Number one’: National media think £21.5 star is now the best in the league after leaving Arsenal appeared first on HITC.
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