Tag Archives: Granit Xhaka

Premier League football is just over a month away from returning to our screens and sides from England’s top-flight are preparing for the new campaign, as they jet off around the world.

Arsenal took to the skies last night to head to Sydney, where they’ll play their first of four pre-season fixtures in Australia and China on Thursday, selecting a 25-man squad that was full of stars, players with a point to prove and youngsters ready to make an impact.

There’s notable absences from the squad with the likes of Rob Holding, Alexis Sanchez, Shkodran Mustafi and Hector Bellerin earning extended breaks following their involvement in international competitions this summer and that means there’s plenty of places up for grabs.

As usual for a pre-season challenge, Arsene Wenger will rotate his options and try out new things- so we’ve selected an experimental XI that could help the Gunners boast a competitive squad next season.

GK: Emiliano Martinez

Whilst David Ospina made the squad for Arsenal’s pre-season tour, the Colombian stopper continues to be heavily linked with an exit and the Gunners may have Argentine goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez as their second-choice stopper behind Petr Cech next season.

Arsenal have rotated their ranks between the sticks in recent years, with the Gunners likely to select their second-choice stopper for the Europa League and cup campaigns next season, so experience for Martinez is valuable ahead of those challenges.

Arsenal have successfully established themselves as one of the biggest clubs in world football and the Gunners have enjoyed a wealth of success in the Premier League era.

Winning three domestic crowns since 1992, the last of which came in 2004, Arsenal have also established themselves as the most successful club in FA Cup history- whilst manager Arsene Wenger has lifted more FA Cups than anyone else.

Naturally as a big club, Arsenal have to spend big funds to sign top players but the Gunners have seemed more reluctant to do so than their arch-rivals in the division, until recently of course as Wenger parted with over £100m last summer.

The majority of Arsenal’s most expensive dealings have come in recent years but there’s still a few names from the past that stand-out there as significant deals, so we’ve assembled the most-expensive Arsenal XI in the club’s history.

Before we start, we must mention that this is not just Arsenal’s most expensive 11 signings and is instead a line-up of their most expensive recruits across all positions throughout the years. All figures were collected from TransferMarkt.

GK: Petr Cech (£11.9m)

After a whopping 333 Premier League appearances for Chelsea, Petr Cech moved across London in 2015 to become Arsenal’s first-choice goalkeeper- after Thibaut Courtois’ return to Stamford Bridge from Atletico Madrid pushed the veteran stopper down the pecking order.

Since then, Cech has lifted the FA Cup and Community Shield with Arsenal, making 69 Premier League appearances in total. Now 35, and showing signs of decline, rumours have speculated that Arsenal are in search of a long-term replacement.

Chelsea and Arsenal have not met in an FA Cup final since 2002. The Gunners were victorious that day, with each club having enjoyed numerous Wembley successes since. Didier Drogba has dominated this fixture in the 2000s, but the Ivorian is now no more than a nightmare for Arsenal.

Antonio Conte’s Chelsea are Premier League champions and are shooting for a double on Saturday. Arsenal, meanwhile, remain a club on the cusp of turmoil. Stan Kroenke is a man criticised frequently, Arsene Wenger’s future is unknown and key players are yet to sign on the dotted line.

With defenders missing and off the back of an underwhelming campaign, Arsenal are underdogs. Strong underdogs at that, too, with Wenger a man splitting opinion. Everything can change under the arch, and Arsenal have a good recent record at Wembley, but Chelsea are a fearsome unit led by a manager a driven as anyone in the game.

The man-to-man duels could decide this encounter. We don’t want controversy, we don’t want it to be decided on a foolish red card, we want a classic final showdown. These three matchups will be crucial if that is to happen…

Arsene Wenger surprised everybody with his team selection for the Middlesbrough game, as the man often describe as stubborn and a tactical dinosaur made major changes to his side and altered his formation majorly.

For the first time in two decades, Arsenal adopted a make-shift three-man defensive line consisting of Laurent Koscielny, Gabriel Paulista and Rob Holding, utilising Nacho Monreal and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain as wing backs.

Whilst there were some defensive frailties shown, the likes of Oxlade-Chamberlain, Aaron Ramsey and Mesut Ozil performed well, leading some to suggest that the Gunners to adopt this formation more regularly in the future.

It certainly needs some work but Chelsea have shown this season that a three-man defence can work well, whilst Juventus have demonstrated similarly on the continent as they push for success in the Champions League.

With a few tweaks and summer additions, Arsenal’s new-look XI could launch an impressive assault for glory next season and it could work whether Arsene Wenger or someone else is in charge.

GK: Jordan Pickford

Arsenal are reportedly looking to shake up their options between the sticks this summer, with Petr Cech failing to impress, and not getting any younger, whilst David Ospina seems increasingly likely to leave the Emirates Stadium in the summer.

Wojciech Szczesny is also likely to leave, having spent two successful seasons on-loan with Roma, and Jordan Pickford has been identified as the ideal target- and he could excel in North London, developing into the Gunners first-choice stopper and learning from the extremely experienced Cech.

Arsenal have struggled to remain competitive over the past decade but a major overhaul is expected to take place this summer. With a host of reported signings on the cards, these four new additions will turn the Gunners into Premier League contenders.

GK: Ederson

The eyes of Europe’s elite have been turned towards Benfica ace Ederson this summer and Arsenal are one of many clubs eyeing his services, as they see the 23-year-old Brazilian as the perfect long-term replacement for ageing veteran Petr Cech.

Cech has struggled to remain consistent this season but is likely to stay on. David Ospina, meanwhile, wants more regular first-team football and an exit is one the cards. For next season, playing Ederson in the Premier League and reverting Cech to the cup campaigns could be ideal.

Arsenal got back to winning ways in the Premier League on Wednesday night, and there were several brilliant individual performances that will have pleased the Arsenal fans. One summer signing was particularly impressive…

Xhaka signed for Arsenal for £30million in the summer and he has divided opinion ever since. The Swiss international has endured a difficult season, often played out of position and his discipline or lack of it, has really damaged his reputation.

In this game though, the Swiss international was majestic in defensive midfield. With Mohammed Elneny alongside him, the former FC Basel pair controlled the game against West Ham.

Although he plays deep in midfield, he is a very creative player with a great eye for a long pass and he’s neat and tidy in his short passing. With Santi Cazorla out, Arsenal needed a midfielder to step up responsibility and become the controller in midfield, conducting the game.

Xhaka was never hiding from the ball and often positioned himself in useful areas of the pitch to be the outlet for his defenders when they were under pressure. He was the base of all of Arsenal’s attacking movements and disciplined in his defensive actions.

Here’s some statistics from his performance: In perhaps his best game in an Arsenal shirt to date, Xhaka completed a massive 120 passes with an 89.2% success rate. He attempted 13 long balls and was accurate with 9 of them. Defensively he was solid, making 4 tackles and 1 interception. Offensively he was influential, making 3 key passes, despite playing in the deepest midfield position.

Here’s some tweets showing how fans reacted to Xhaka’s performance against the Hammers.

Xhaka sent Noble back to Upton Park pic.twitter.com/ui3VqLpXmh

— Ahmed (@Ahmed91Gooner) April 5, 2017

Thought Granit Xhaka was excellent tonight. Some terrific passing and positioning. Good to see.

— gunnerblog (@gunnerblog) April 5, 2017

Much better from Arsenal tonight. Happy with Gabriel & Mustafi but most impressed by Xhaka who is beginning to purr. 3 very welcome points.

— FK³ (@fkhanage) April 5, 2017

It's amazing what Xhaka can do when he's not partnered with a brainless imbecile and left to do the work of two men. Elneny compliments him.

— TerryAFC (@TerryAFCx) April 5, 2017

Xhaka and ElNeny have been good, very positive play form them and quick build up.

— Dezil Dez (@DezilDezz) April 5, 2017

 

In my opinion, Xhaka is a top quality midfielder that Arsenal must build their midfield around. The club can no longer depend on Cazorla, who is becoming injury prone and moving into the latter years of his career.

He’s has addressed his attitude problem recently and has become much calmer and more reliable on the ball. Arsenal need this kind of performance from Xhaka for the remainder of the season if they are to be successful in the FA Cup and qualify for the Champions League for a 23rd consecutive year.

A huge game for Arsenal on Wednesday. The Gunners once again travel to Munich in hope of upsetting the odds and reaching the quarter-final of the Champions League – something they haven’t managed to do for far too long.

Arsenal are an unpredictable team, but on their day, they are capable of taking on European giants like Munich. Playing the away leg away from home will be a big test for the club – the aim will be to score an away goal and still be in the tie. You get the feeling that pretty much everyone would take, say a 3-2 loss. That would mean a 2-1 home win would be enough to progress on away goals. But Wenger’s aim will be to score and not to lose, that’s the ideal scenario. So what eleven is best for such a tough fixture?

Goalkeeper: David Ospina

The Colombian stopper is set to come back into the side for the Champions League and with Cech in questionable form, it is up to him to prove his worth and prove why he should be number 1. He’s likely to face a big test in this fixture and the Gunners will certainly need him at his best if they are to progress.

Defence: Hector Bellerin, Shkodran Mustafi, Laurent Koscielny, Nacho Monreal

The back four pretty much picks itself up until left back, where I’d actually opt for Monreal whom has more experience and would be better for this kind of game. Mustafi and Koscielny need to be at their best for Arsenal to stand any chance in this fixure. On the flanks, Bellerin and Monreal must prioritise defence. Coming up against Ribery and Robben, they will be tested to their max – they cannot afford to fail.

Midfield: Mo Elneny, Granit Xhaka, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain

Arsenal need defensive steel in Elneny, but they also need someone like Xhaka to not only add more defensive ability, but to give the team a platform to build attacks. Coquelin is a very poor distributor of the ball, and I think Arsenal need good players on the ball to stand any chance. Xhaka is brilliant at that, Elneny is also decent and can bring a lot of energy alongside Granit. Elneny’s best performance in an Arsenal shirt was probably against Barcelona at the Nou Camp. He’s just played in an ACON final too, he is capable of playing well in this game. Dubbed the new Xabi Alonso, Xhaka will have to be exactly that if Arsenal are to stand a chance against Bayern Munich in midfield. He will be the freshest person in the Arsenal squad after missing 4 domestic games due to a ban. He simply has to start this game. Chamberlain has impressed recently but he’s played a lot of football and I feel he would leave us too exposed in a game like this in a 2, so I’d play 3 in the middle.

Attack: Mesut Ozil, Alexis Sanchez, Danny Welbeck

I think Arsenal need to go with Alexis up top, to play on the counter-attack and also put pressure on Bayern Munich from the front. This will enable the team to win the ball back high up the pitch. Alexis can drop deep and attempt to disrupt Bayern from the start of their build-up play. With Welbeck and Lucas out wide, Arsenal would have the perfect platform for a counter attack if Alexis wins the ball back in the middle.

I’d like to see Ozil’ and Welbeck on the wings. Both would set us up to be very dangerous on the counter attack, but both have a lot of energy to ensure they can track back well. I can see Walcott and Iwobi being selected by Arsene, though. Ozil cannot afford to have a free role in this game, but he can be very influential from the right. Arsenal desperately need him to turn up and put in a defensive shift, as well as linking the midfield together.

 

Arsenal moved to the top of the league on Saturday night after beating Stoke, and there was one player that the fans were talking about a lot after the game…

Arsenal’s £30million summer signing Granit Xhaka was selected alongside Francis Coquelin in the heart of the Gunners midfield as they looked to combat the physical threat offered by Stoke City. The defensive base

Although Xhaka gave away a controversial penalty, the Swiss international put in a brilliant all-round performance to help Arsenal to what was in the end, a comfortable 3-1 home win against an on form Stoke City side.

Xhaka’s statistics on the day were incredibly impressive. He completed 100% of his take ons and highlighted his ability to dictate the game from deep, completing 77 passes with an 88% accuracy rate. He also showed his physical and defensive ability, winning 4 aerial duels, 3 tackles and making 2 clearances.

What was impressive about Xhaka’s performance on the day was that he did not only make short passes to keep things ticking along, but he also showed good ability to create chances from deep, switching up his passing play with longer passes that created 2 clear chances. He attempted a huge 10 long balls with 6 of them being accurate.

The ability to be such an all-round midfielder has made Xhaka the hub of the Arsenal team. He seems to be the man to dictate possession and lead by example. With Santi Cazorla out injured for a few months, it was extremely important for Arsenal to find someone that was capable of this - Xhaka being able to do so will ensure that the Spaniard is not missed as much as many may have thought originally.

Here’s some reaction on Twitter to the Swiss international’s performance.

Very strong how this side evolves around Xhaka, and how #AFC gets two mobile high players so involved in Özil & Sanchez.#passmap pic.twitter.com/uMz1aRegFG

— 11tegen11 (@11tegen11) December 10, 2016

Xhaka vs Stoke
77/88 passes - Highest
2 chances created
100% take on success
8 ball recoveries - Highest
3/3 tackles - Highest
SOLID

— Jase The GÖÖNER (@JaseTheGooner) December 10, 2016

Won't get any headlines but Xhaka excellent again today. 10 starts for Arsenal, 9 wins, 1 draw. pic.twitter.com/xvCREc1Q4J

— Jas (@JasAFC) December 10, 2016

… and some reaction from Xhaka himself…

Great win and 3 points in the bag. Top of the table for a now. #GunnerGranit ⚽🔝✌ pic.twitter.com/8DRs1scBr2

— Granit Xhaka (@GrantXhaka) December 10, 2016

Personally, I am over the moon with the signing of Xhaka. He has settled very quickly and looks better with every game. I think he has curbed his aggression somewhat and filtered it into the right kind of aggression that’s needed on the pitch. Arsenal needed a midfielder that could both dictate the game through good on the ball ability and also physically dominate. In Coquelin Arsenal have a physical but not technical midfielder and Cazorla is technical not physical, but Xhaka beautifully combines both. He’s a man with a tonne of experience already, but it is easy to forget that he is only 24 and his leadership skills and overall ability will continue to grow in the next 5 years. Arsenal have made a top class signing.

Arsenal had to respond on Sunday after a couple of back to back draws in the Premier League had seen them slip slightly away from the leading pack in the Premier League.

The Gunners are still unbeaten in all competitions since the opening day of the season, though they were 6 points behind leaders Chelsea before hosting Bournemouth on Sunday afternoon.

Arsenal managed to close that gap to just 3 points following a 3-1 win. Arsene Wenger opted for some tactical changes after poor midfield performances in recent weeks. With Granit Xhaka and Mohammed Elneny at the base of the midfield and Oxlade-Chamberlain and Theo Walcott back on the wings - Alexis also started the game up front. Arsenal played well for the most part, particularly in the 2nd half. The Arsenal fans had been calling for new summer signing Granit Xhaka to play more regularly and today’s performance shows why they are so keen to see more of their new central midfielder.

In Santi Cazorla’s absence, Arsenal have lacked a playmaker in deep areas, someone who is assured on the ball and can pass both long and short. Xhaka is this kind of playing and whilst he is not as technically gifted as Santi, he does have a stronger and taller frame, giving him obvious advantages in central duels.

Xhaka’s statistics on the day help back up my point. He completed a very impressive 90.4% of his passes on the day and had 76 touches during the 90 minutes, more than any other Arsenal player on the pitch. Defensively he was sound, making a huge 9 tackles, winning 1 aerial duel and making 3 interceptions. He showed his quality with a long ball too, attempting 4 and reaching his target twice. One that sticks in my mind was a brilliant long ball over the top for Giroud, although the Frenchman’s control saw the chance end.

Xhaka’s 52 passes were more than any other Arsenal player and this shows how he is becoming more settled in the team and more relied upon amongst his teammates. He is the conductor and in Cazorla’s absence it is very important that Arsenal have a player of this ilk in the centre of the park.

Here’s what the fans are saying about the Swiss international’s performance on Sunday.

Granit Xhaka has had an immense second half. We can attack so much faster with him in there. #afc

— Pablo (@AFCAMDEN) November 27, 2016

Xhaka has been excellent. Already looking forward to his next start some time in late January.

— Töm Acres (@TomAcresKM) November 27, 2016

So much more direct with Ox & Xhaka in the team. Forward passing at pace.

— Memz D (@AFCMemz) November 27, 2016

Granit Xhaka v Bournemouth

90% pass completion
14 ball recoveries
9 tackles
3 interceptions pic.twitter.com/uKkKpsBcqA

— Sultan (@WMFormation) November 27, 2016

Granit Xhaka has bossed it today. Deserves to be in the next starting XI.

— Danny Welbeck (@WelBeast) November 27, 2016

Xhaka has to start every week. Marvellous player. Lovely to watch.

— 1886 (@1886_blog) November 27, 2016

In my opinion I would agree with the general consensus on Twitter that Xhaka is an important part of the starting XI and he should certainly start in the absence of Santi Cazorla. Even when Cazorla is out I think Xhaka is the best all round central midfielder that we have at the club and his physical attributes make him an important part of the line-up.

These are Fresh Football’s ratings for Arsenal’s Premier League win at home over Swansea City at the Emirates Stadium this Saturday:

Arsenal

Petr Čech - 6.5

The veteran goalkeeper was brought into action occasionally in the first half, offering a few uneasy moments with his distribution, but, contrarily, the ex-Chelsea man kept himself composed between the sticks when saving a handful of attempts at goal late on from Leroy Fer and co.

Héctor Bellerín - 7

Arsenal’s right back was constant threat down the flanks, meanwhile also ushering the Swans’ attack away to the opposite wing with his defensive capabilities.

Shkodran Mustafi - 7

A sound performance from the German centre half yet again, whether it meant bringing the ball out from defence, threatening from set-pieces, or sweeping up play in behind Arsenal’s backline.

Laurent Koscielny - 7.5

Much like his centre back partner, Mustafi, Koscielny’s covering and reading of the game was near impeccable, in particular when dealing Modou Barrow on Arsenal’s left hand side.

Nacho Monreal - 6

Standard stuff from Arsenal left back Nacho Monreal, who was generally solid but will also be happy to see the back of Modou Barrow.

Granit Xhaka - 5

A day to forget for Granit Xhaka, despite a fairly calm demonstration in between both points of reference that will blemish his performance. The Swiss midfielder lost the ball in a dangerous area in the lead-up to Gylfi Sigurðsson’s goal, whereas his red card for a cynical tackle turned up the heat on an Arsenal side left to fend off a late onslaught on their 3-2 advantage.

Santi Cazorla - 7

An often casual-looking performance from Cazorla’s, whose work in the park looked typically effortless in Arsenal’s large phase of dominance. The diminutive playmaker also shifted quite well to a more conservative approach in the middle of the park following Xhaka’s red card.

Theo Walcott - 8

Walcott’s hot streak in front of goal continues with a first-half brace, gifting Arsenal a 2-0 lead with some old-fashioned goal-poaching. The winger might well have had a hat-trick on another day, too - hitting the woodwork twice in the latter stages of the game.

Mesut Özil - 7

The execution in his passes were uncharacteristically rusty in the first period, but began to look far more refined and familiar for the second half, as Özil made his presence felt with an inch-perfect volley for Arsenal’s third.

Alex Iwobi - 6.5

Iwobi was on hand to provide good interplay throughout the game, bursting into life early in the second half in a dazzling run that almost led to Walcott’s third, but the young Nigerian was then given a break when replaced by Francis Coquelin midway through the second period.

Alexis Sanchez - 6

The Chilean was typically lively when leading the line, but for all the enthusiasm, his touch appeared visibly off peak. Perhaps a consequence of the fatigue picked up from international duty, but Sanchez still found away to contribute with a looped pass for Özil’s goal.

Subs

Francis Coquelin - N/A

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain - N/A

Kieran Gibbs - N/A

Swansea City

Łukasz Fabiański - 5.5

The ex-Arsenal man pulled off an important stop in the latter stages from an individual effort by Bellerín to keep Swansea in the game, whereas there wasn’t a great deal that could be done for at least two of the three goals conceded by the visitors.

Kyle Naughton - 5

Not a memorable performance from Naughton, it must be said, with general memory throwing us the image of the full back chasing after Arsenal players and little else.

Federico Fernández - 4

Among the most disappointing for Swans this afternoon, the player took his eye off runners in behind on a consistent basis and could easily have been punished on another day for it.

Jordi Amat - 4.5

Not quite as neglectful as his partner in crime, but the Spaniard was arguably at fault for Theo Walcott’s opener and went on to waste a good opportunity from a set-piece as the first half came to a close.

Neil Taylor - 4

Often tormented by the pace of Walcott and Bellerín, Taylor ended up resorting to physicality and picked up a yellow card for his troubles, limiting him further with coping with the dangers in his flank.

Jack Cork - 5

Quiet and unspectacular from the former Chelsea man, but it always looked as though it’d be that way up against an in-form Arsenal side.

Leon Britton - 4.5

Swansea looked towards a diminutive playmaker of their own to ease some of the strain caused by Arsenal’s dominance; a task too demanding of for a 34-year-old Leon Britton on the day, who was later subbed off for Borja Baston.

Leroy Fer - 4.5

The Dutchman relinquished possession far too often in the middle of the park and, perhaps, should have done more in front of goal when the opportunity presented itself.

Modou Barrow - 7

Another impressive performance from Barrow, who’s threat kept Swansea in the game.

Wayne Routledge 4.5

More often than not found tracking back in a fairly low-key display.

Gylfi Sigurðsson - 6.5

Another rare glimpse of hope for Swansea, coming from their star man. Gylfi Sigurðsson was on hand to capitalise on Xhaka’s mistake and pull a goal back, whereas his set-pieces promised to be the most likely avenue for an equaliser all afternoon.

Subs

Borja Baston - 6

Came on to make an impact and did just that when handing Swansea a lifeline with his first goal for his new club.

Ki Sung-Yeung - N/A

Àngel Rangel - N/A

As two of the most free-spending managers in football history, José Mourinho and Pep Guardiola, paved way for the arrival of more high-profile managerial switch-a-rounds, it’s perhaps no surprise to see Premier League clubs shatter the records of expenditure once more with a £1.165 billion bill, surpassing the £870 million mark set just last season.

In its trail, the relentless cash burning has left a bunch of euphoric agents, players and, for the most part, many satisfied fans with the acquisitions made by their favourite clubs. Some teams went about their business better than others, however.

Fresh Football has already brought to you those ranked as 20th – 17th, 16th – 13th & 12th – 9th, leaving us with eight more Premier League clubs in our power rankings to go through. Here are the those who’ve just missed out on our top four.

8th – Watford

Key Incomings: Roberto Pereyra (£11m), Isaac Success (£12.75m), Daryl Janmaat (£7.5m), Christian Kabasele (£5m), Stefano Okaka (£5m), Younes Kaboul (£3.4m), Camilo Zúñiga (Loan), Brice Dja Djédjé (£3m), Kenedy (Loan).

Key Outgoings: Miguel Layún (£5m), Mario Suárez (Loan), José Manuel Jurado (£1.2m), Allan Nyom (£4m), Ikechi Anya (£4m), Matej Vydra (£8m), Almen Abdi (£3m), Daniel Pudil (Free).

There’s a great sense of intrigue surrounding Watford’s new boss Walter Mazzarri, who starred for Napoli in command of Edinson Cavani, Marek Hamšík and more before an underwhelming spell at Inter Milan in 2013. As the Hornets took on Arsenal and Chelsea in two of their first three Premier League encounters, the Italian manager could only pluck one point from a possible nine so far, but the squad currently at his disposal could well give the London club an excellent chance at a swift recovery.

Juventus midfielder Roberto Pereyra stands as the biggest name to walk through the door at Vicarage Road, with the Argentine already impressing versus Arsenal following his £11 million move. The impact made in the same game by record signing Isaac Success also gives Mazzarri food for thought with regards to his options up top.

On the topic of forwards, Watford’s ability to hold onto Odian Ighalo and Troy Deeney can be seen in a positive light, despite the astronomical offers that reportedly surfaced, whereas the likes of Daryl Janmaat, Kenedy and Christian Kabasele could all prove to be handy options for Mazzarri’s famed 3-5-2 formation.

7th – Arsenal

Key Incomings: Granit Xhaka (£38m), Shkodran Mustafi (£35m), Lucas Pérez (£17m), Rob Holding (£2.5m), Takuma Asano (£3.5m), Kelechi Nwakali (£3m).

Key Outgoings: Jack Wilshere (Loan), Calum Chambers (Loan), Joel Campbell (Loan), Wojciech Szczęsny (Loan), Serge Gnabry (£4.25m), Mikel Arteta (Retired), Tomáš Rosický (Released), Mathieu Flamini (Released), Jon Toral (Loan), Dan Crowley (Loan), Isaac Hayden (£2.5m).

The primary targets for Arsenal in the transfer window were to sign a defensive midfielder, a striker and a centre back, all of high calibre. After endless pleas from fans and public figures alike, the Gunners managed to do just that, to an extent at least.

Borussia Mönchengladbach’s Granit Xhaka is sure to add the blend of attitude, defensive and technically progressive capabilities the north London club has been crying out for in defensive midfield throughout the years. There can be few complaints over the arrival of Shkodran Mustafi as well; a 24-year-old, 13-time Germany international who adds both greater physical capabilities and composure that the likes of Per Mertesacker and Gabriel Paulista naturally can’t pair up.

The arrival of 27-year-old Lucas Pérez is a little trickier to theoretically suffice, however, but if his recent 17-goal season for Deportivo de La Coruña is anything to go by, then he’s a welcome addition to those in the goal scoring department.

6th – Middlesbrough

Key Incomings: Viktor Fischer (£4.25m), Álvaro Negredo (Loan), Antonio Barragán (£2.3m), Víctor Valdés (Free), Calum Chambers (Loan), Adama Traoré (Undisclosed), Bernardo Espinosa (Free), Gastón Ramírez (Free), Fabio Da Silva (£2m), Brad Guzan (Free).

Key Outgoings: Albert Adomah (Undisclosed), Jonathan Woodgate (Released), Adam Reach (£5m), Rhys Williams (Free), Mustapha Carayol (Released), Damia Abella (Released).

Aitor Karanka’s Middlesbrough side have been amongst the most lauded of Premier League sides for their transfer activity and it’s easy to see why. Notably, the ex-José Mourinho assistant manager has filled in the gaps of his team with various compatriots, which should facilitate both the players’ and the club’s transition to the Premier League from a tactical perspective.

Álvaro Negredo had 23 goals to his name in his debut season at Manchester City in 2014, whereas Víctor Valdés adds a wealth of experience to Middlesbrough’s backline, strengthened further by the likes of Antonio Barragán from Valencia and Sporting Gijon’s Bernardo Espinosa.

Boro have also managed to lure in Calum Chambers on loan, a good deal for all concerned, meanwhile there’s a fair deal of excitement that should be reserved for the arrival of ex-Ajax man Viktor Fishcher and former Barcelona starlet Adama Traoré, both players who should be keen to make positive strides in their promising careers.

5th – AFC Bournemouth

Key Incomings: Jack Wilshere (Loan), Jordon Ibe (£15.3m), Lewis Cook (£6m), Nathan Aké (Loan), Emerson Hyndman (Free), Brad Smith (£3m), Marc Wilson (£2m).

Key Outgoings: Matt Ritchie (£10.2m), Tommy Elphick (£3.2m), Lee Tomlin (£3m), Sylvain Distin (Released), Glenn Murray (Loan).

It’s hard to look beyond the deadline day signing of Jack Wilshere on loan from Arsenal, a player who, if fit, sees him become an addition of the highest order at the Vitality Stadium. His progressiveness and creativity in the middle of the park will be invaluable to Bournemouth, whereas he also has his fair share of experience, despite a turbulent time with injuries.

Ex-Liverpool man Jordon Ibe will be tasked with replacing Matt Ritchie, who joined Newcastle United for £10 million. If the talented winger can add consistency to his game, arguably costly in his abrupt exit from Anfield, then Bournemouth have yet another big player on their hands for the forthcoming season.

There’s bags of potential in the signings on Nathan Aké, loaned out by Chelsea once more, Emerson Hyndman from Fulham and £6 million man Lewis Cook, making the Cherries a team to pay very close attention to.

We’ve been asking the fans who they think have been the best signings of the summer. This is your list and this, is your number 5.

Although the Gunners left most of their transfer business to the last minute, they did tie up one signing early, and it was a very good one. 23-year-old Granit Xhaka signed for just over £30million and in the process became Arsenal’s 3rd (now 4th) most expensive signing of all time.

Arsenal have lacked a physical presence in midfield for some time and the Swiss international helps solve that problem. Although he has had discipline problems in the past, Xhaka is a tough tackling midfielder that also, so far at least, appears to have the maturity and know how to position himself perfectly at the base of midfield, thus making him a great presence physically and alleviating the defensive duties off of Arsenal’s more creative players, allowing them to do what they do best.

But Xhaka is not just limited to defending. His main rival for a place in the holding role is probably Francis Coquelin, and although Francis is a useful squad player, he is very limited technically. Xhaka, on the other hand boasts a polished technical skill set which makes him composed on the ball, confident in his short and long range passing and not afraid to go for goal too. Let’s look at his performance against Watford as an example: Xhaka made a huge 71 passes (86% success rate), and attempted 9 long balls, being accurate with 6 of them. He was also accurate with one through ball, making a key pass in the process. He also won 5 tackles, 2 aerial duels, made 4 clearances and 2 interceptions.

Although £30million may have looked a lot at the start of the summer, for a player of his age and one that combines qualities in such a unique way, I feel he will be a brilliant addition to the Arsenal squad. He’s already caused fan favourite and Arsenal boy Jack Wilshere to be knocked out of the club and in my opinion, by the end of the season he will be one of the first names on the team sheet.

Xhaka has a natural leadership about him, he was the captain at former club Borussia Monchengladbach and that is some achievement considering his age. Monchengladbach are no lowly club either, they have competed in European football consistently during Xhaka’s time at the club, so despite his age, he has the experience needed to play for a club of Arsenal’s size.

Calling him the heir to Patrick Vieira may be a bit excessive, they aren’t the same player but Xhaka certainly has the natural leadership and strength that Patrick had and with age and more confidence that will only grow more. Arsene has preferred to liken Granit to Emmanuel Petit, you can see the comparisons in terms of playing style more closely with Granit and Emmanuel. Perhaps the Swiss international is a nice blend of both Vieira’s mental and physical attributes and Petit’s style of play. If Xhaka can perform nearly as well as either of those Arsenal legends, then the Gunners can be sure of a positive return on investment on him.

This is the Fresh Football team of the week for Gameweek 3.

Michel Vorm – Tottenham

Despite Danny Rose’ second half equaliser, Mauricio Pochettino can have Hugo Lloris’ deputy, Michel Vorm, to thank for his side sharing the spoils with Liverpool at White Hart Lane. The Dutch goalkeeper made a crucial save early on to deny Philipp Coutinho from close range, whereas he was also on hand to snuff out the dangers posed by Sadio Mané rushing towards his goal on two separate occasions.

Héctor Bellerín – Arsenal

It was almost like a return home for Héctor Bellerín, who spent time out on loan to Watford in the season prior to his big Arsenal breakthrough. In that vein, Bellerín made himself feel at ease down the right flank, additionally leading a couple of dangerous counter-attacks in the second half that could have seen the hosts lose sight of the Gunners in a hotly-contested affair between the two London neighbours.

Joel Matip – Liverpool

As far as debuts go, there can’t be many complaints about keeping a 25-goal Harry Kane quiet, in particular with Vincent Janssen alongside the Englishman to deflect attention. Three interceptions and 11 clearances rounded off a promising start from Joël Matip in a Liverpool shirt.

Papy Djilobodji – Sunderland

Saturday’s performance versus Southampton shows there may have been some science behind Chelsea picking Papy Djilobodji up from Nantes last summer, who, alongside the coveted Lamine Koné, would have led Sunderland to their first victory of the season had it not been for an unfortunate blunder by Jordan Pickford between the sticks.

Daley Blind – Manchester United

Few would have expected José Mourinho to conform to Louis van Gaal’s habits, in particular that of placing the aesthetically inadequate figure of Daley Blind at centre back. The performances have been very sound, however, much like last season, and last Saturday’s display versus Hull City makes it increasingly tricky for the new Man United boss to justify replacing him with someone like Chris Smalling in the first XI.

Danny Drinkwater – Leicester City

The Danny Drinkwater of old? After the heartbreak of being left out of England’s Euro 2016 squad in France, the ex-Manchester United man was back to doing what he knows best – assisting Jamie Vardy with a pass over the top. A pretty decent one at that, too!

N’Golo Kante – Chelsea

The France international is proving to be an instant hit at Stamford Bridge, just as he was in his time with the current Premier League champions. On top of the two tackles and interceptions made, N’Golo Kanté’s 93.6% pass accuracy culminated in another dominant, yet fascinatingly simplistic performance by the ex-Leicester City man.

Granit Xhaka – Arsenal

In a hope of things to come by Arsenal fans, Granit Xhaka’s range of passing was on full show versus Watford at Vicarage Road, as he racked up the most passes (71) made throughout the encounter with a 85.9% success rate.

Raheem Sterling – Manchester City

The former Liverpool man’s rich form continues with a brace against West Ham United, with his second solo effort in the dying moments of the game being the particular highlight.

Eden Hazard – Chelsea

On the topic of wingers being back to their best, Eden Hazard leads the way with another idyllic performance reminiscent of his pre-2015/16 season. His goal, coming as early as the 9^th minute in Chelsea’s 3-0 win over Burnley, proved to be the pick of the bunch.

Alexis Sánchez – Arsenal

Quite a bit has been made of the prospect of Alexis Sánchez leading the line for Arsenal, with his latest exhibition opening up the debate once more. The Chilean excelled with Mesut Özil, Santi Cazorla and Granit Xhaka all feeding into his movements, as he earned the Gunners a penalty in the 8^th minute, scored their second five minutes shy of the interval and went on to assist the third in a 3-1 victory.

It was an afternoon to remember for Arsenal’s summer signing Granit Xhaka as his new club picked up their first win of the season and he put in a memorable performance.

Xhaka had failed to really make an impact before the Watford game as he acclimatised to the Premier League, but his performance on Saturday showed what he is capable of with the right players around him. Arsene Wenger did what many had hoped he would and dropped Francis Coquelin for Xhaka, this allowed the likes of Santi Cazorla, Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil to play ahead of him and it worked really well.

Xhaka completed 5 tackles, highlighting his ability to play in the deepest midfield role for the Gunners. Many had previously wondered if he had the defensive abilities to match Coquelin’s, Xhaka also won 2 aerial duels, made 4 clearances and 2 interceptions. He is a controller too, Granit effortlessly gave Arsenal control of the game from a deep position and his mix of technical plus physical attributes was warmly welcomed by Arsenal fans. It has led Arsene Wenger to making Emmanuel Petit comparisons.

As well as the more simple passes, Xhaka completed a couple of long balls that almost turned a nothing situation immediately into a goal. His long balls give the Gunners a different route of attack. With Coquelin at the base the Frenchman could break up play pretty well, but he normally passes it to the more creative players and then Arsenal become more predictable. With Xhaka, the Gunners can now create from any midfield position.

Here’s what Arsenal fans thought of Xhaka’s dominant midfield display on Saturday.

Early days but, so far this afternoon, Xhaka looking like the central midfielder that Arsenal have needed for about 10 years

— Jeremy Wilson (@JWTelegraph) August 27, 2016

Xhaka is the closest thing to Xabi Alonso I've seen a long time. We have a gem on our hands.

— TikiTakaConnor (@TikiTakaConnor) August 29, 2016

Xhaka is just a monster upgrade on Coq stylistically. Like an Arteta with working legs instead of a bulldozer on legs.

— YankeeGunner (@YankeeGunner) August 27, 2016

Xhaka outstanding for Arsenal on Saturday. Wenger compares Swiss midfielder to Petit. #afc

— Sam (@samuelJayC) August 29, 2016

Xhaka's really starting to find his feet. Good passing range, links play well, positioning & intercepting. Lovely pivot combo with Cazorla.

— Pádraig 〽️ (@VintageOzil) August 27, 2016

Can really understand why Guardiola wanted Xhaka for his Man City's midfield, unreal baller.

— Spanish Gooner (@ElSpanishGooner) August 27, 2016

Xhaka made a huge 71 passes, and attempted 9 long balls, being accurate with 6 of them. He was also accurate with one through ball, making a key pass in the process.

The statistics behind Xhaka’s performance were no doubt impressive, hopefully for Arsenal fans, he can continue to adapt and improve in the Premier League as he has the potential to fill the midfield void that the club have had for far too long now.

What impressed me personally about Granit’s performance was his constant availability, he positions himself on the pitch so well and that is important considering he is not as mobile as some of Arsenal’s other midfielders. I love the fact that Granit has both the physical and technical attributes to not be as limited as Coquelin. As the tweet above says, Arsenal may have finally found their Xabi Alonso.

Since Arsenal completed the signing of Granit Xhaka, many fans have wondered who he’ll replace in the lineup and how the Gunners midfield will shape up with him in the team.

Arsenal fans have managed to have a close look at Xhaka’s style of play at Euro 2016, where he has impressed in all three games so far for Switzerland, helping them reach the round of 16.

The Swiss midfielder has demonstrated a blend of physicality, technical ability, aggression and composure in the three games for Switzerland, whilst impressing with his passing at all times (perhaps not with penalties).

Xhaka has been widely criticised for his disciplinary record but against France he could’ve easily jumped into tackles and picked up a yellow card that would’ve seen him banned for the next game. Xhaka was mature and played with defensive intelligence to avoid picking up a booking, using his awareness to always be positioned in the right place.

It is this awareness of space that enables him to dictate games from deep. Xhaka combines the defensive tenacity of Francis Coquelin and the technical ability to dictate of Santi Cazorla. Arsenal have wanted to play Aaron Ramsey or Jack Wilshere in central roles with more freedom but there has not been space as the Gunners never had a player that could control the game from deep and have good physical attributes.

Whilst Xhaka has played in the deepest midfield role for Switzerland, he is capable of playing further forward as he has shown for Monchengladbach. It is likely that for Arsenal he will play a similar role as he does for his country. Playing Xhaka in the deepest role allows for Arsenal to give attacking freedom to his midfield partner, whether that be Mohammed Elneny, Jack Wilshere, Cazorla or Aaron Ramsey. All of those four players can make a difference in the final third and have Xhaka alongside them will free up their creative instincts.

It has been an up and down season for Liverpool this season. The arrival of Jurgen Klopp as manager in October was greeted with huge optimism at Anfield and he has certainly delivered in the cup competitions but the league is a different beast he will have to master during his first full campaign next season.

Klopp has steered Liverpool into the Europa League Final against Sevilla after knocking out is former club Borussia Dortmund and Villarreal. Much will rely on the final in Basel on Wednesday 18th May to determine whether this has been a successful season culminating in a trophy and a Champions League spot.

The league has been a tough one for Liverpool who currently lie in eighth place. Excellent wins against Chelsea, Everton and Manchester City have been outshone by defeats at Swansea City, Southampton and Watford. Klopp win be expected to compete at the top end of the Premier League next season, we take a look at three players that could propel Liverpool up the league.

1. Granit Xhaka

One of the most sort after players in Europe at the moment is Borussia Monchengladbach’s Granit Xhaka. The 23-year old Switzerland international is a big transfer target for the likes of Arsenal and Bayern Munich but would be a perfect fit for Liverpool in an anchoring midfield role.

Xhaka has been at Monchengladbach since 2012 and has established himself as one of the best defensive midfielders in the Bundesliga. His tough tackling no-nonsense play would be a vital asset to the Liverpool midfield which has lacked some bite in recent years. He also has an eye for goal scoring six times in 40 international appearances for Switzerland and will be on route to France for this summers European Championships.

With the constant injury problems of captain Jordan Henderson and Lucas Leiva being more of a utility man at Anfield nowadays, Xhaka would be a big player for Liverpool. He would form a nice partnership with Emre Can in midfield allowing the more attack-minded players in the Liverpool squad to express themselves.

Arsenal appear to be set to make a huge summer signing, before the transfer window even opens. The need for a dominant midfielder has been pressing for some time, and it seems as if Arsene Wenger has finally addressed the issue.

The player set to fill that void looks to be Borussia Mönchengladbach midfielder, Granit Xhaka. His team are set to finish 4th in the Bundesliga and will once again play in the Champions League next season. But Xhaka’s ambitions lie higher than just qualification and he now looks likely to move to Arsenal, ahead of Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool.

Reports in Germany now suggest a deal is ‘on the verge’ of being completed. Xhaka would demand wages of around £100,000 per week, whilst his transfer fee will be in the region of £32million. Aged 23 Xhaka has huge potential, and he is already considered amongst the best central midfielders in the Bundesliga. Despite his age, Xhaka plays with a maturity and has been capped 40 times for Switzerland. He stands at over 6ft and is very successful in duels, winning on average 3.5 aerial duels per 90 minutes this season, at a success rate of 56.49%. Despite most of his strengths lying in defensive areas, he can also beat a man, managing to be successful in 81% of his take ons. His pass completion is a respectable 85%, this stat may be distorted by the fact he attempts more than 7 long balls per game - this highlights the quality in his passing range, no Arsenal player comes close to that amount. Xhaka may add more directness to the Gunners style of play.

 

 

An area Xhaka needs to improve in is his discipline, after notching up 3 red and 5 yellow cards in the league this season. Another positive of Xhaka’s is his ability to play in many different midfield roles, or alongside many different styles of midfielder. He can play as a deep-lying playmaker, an advanced playmaker, a box-to-box midfielder or even more of an anchorman at the base of a 4-3-3.

Mikel Arteta, Mathieu Flamini and Tomas Rosicky are all set to be released this summer, meaning a new central midfielder was always on the cards for the Gunners this summer. But with Xhaka, Arsenal will have plenty of central options next season. Francis Coquelin, Santi Cazorla, Aaron Ramsey, Jack Wilshere and Mohammed Elneny can all play in the deep two central midfield roles. Despite all five of those having quality, none possess both the physical and technical attributes that Xhaka offers and he will surely come straight into the line-up, who partners him is another question, but the competition for places will be extremely high should Xhaka arrive.

Ramsey, Cazorla and Wilshere could once again be forced to play in more wide positions, whilst Coquelin could be in trouble after dropping behind Elneny in the pecking order.

Follow us on Twitter @FreshFootball for more.

Arsenal are in talks to sign Granit Xhaka from Borussia Mochengladbach at the end of the season, according to BILD.

Xhaka is very highly rated in Germany and it was thought that Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp wanted to bring him to their new English projects, having experienced his quality first hand in the Bundesliga.

But this latest report from BILD makes it seem as if the Gunners have the upper hand in negotiations. The report says Arsene Wenger has already met with the players agent and a €50million package has been put aside for the deal: €43million transfer fee, €5million to the player and €2million for the agent. This seems feasible - but how would BILD have access to all that information? Who knows, but they claim it as an exclusive in today’s papers.

Standing at 6ft 1 and aged just 23, Xhaka has managed an impressive 39 caps for Switzerland, scoring 6 goals in the process.

Analysis Focus

So how does Xhaka compare to Arsenal’s current crop of central midfielders? With Mathieu Flamini and Mikel Arteta set to leave, would Xhaka offer an improvement on the likes of Aaron Ramsey, Santi Cazorla and Francis Coquelin? We take a look at the stats sourced from Squawka.

A stat that really jumps out at me is Xhaka’s 3.38 aerial duels won per game, that is significantly more than any other midfielder we have. An aerial presence in the heart of the Arsenal midfield has been missing since Patrick Vieira left. Xhaka’s defensive stats are all impressive, as he can also be a goal scoring threat.

These statistics highlight that Xhaka is a defensive minded midfielder that is not as limited offensively as Coquelin. I think he would replace the Frenchman in the midfield, but could play alongside him if Arsene wished to take a more defensive approach to a game. If Xhaka is to play in the deepest role, then he may have to perfect his passing a little and try and get to the level of Cazorla (90%) - but this could come naturally in an Arsenal team that passes the ball more often than Mochengladbach.

If Arsenal wish to snap up Xhaka they’ll have to move fast with Manchester City and Liverpool just two of a number of clubs interested in signing the Swiss International.

Tweet us at @FreshFootball and Click here to LIKE us on Facebook to stay up to date and get involved with the conversation!