Kevin Campbell has urged Arsenal to sign Yves Bissouma to play alongside Thomas Partey in midfield.
Granit Xhaka is the player that Campbell wants to see taken out of the Gunners starting line-up for a number of reason.
The former Arsenal striker insists that his recent interview where he claimed that he is overly targeted by the fans will not have been taken well, and a divide between the players and the fans is certainly not wanted.
Xhaka told Swiss news outlet Blick: “There are other players who get red cards, but they don’t get criticised as much as I do. I sometimes feel that with me it is deliberately made into a bigger issue than it really is.”
KC did not take his comments well, but furthermore he has grown frustrated with the limited ability that he brings to the Arsenal first-team, and names the player he believes would be ‘ideal’ to play alongside Partey next season.
He told the Football Insider: “For five years that Xhaka’s been here, we haven’t qualified for the Champions League. That’s not all his fault but he’s played his part.
“People aren’t convinced because he’s been there, he’s got the experience, yet in the first half of the season we were awful with him in the team.
“What he did in throwing the shirt down, that is a no-no to any fanbase. He did that, not the fanbase. That all of a sudden turns the people who might have been giving him a pass against him.
“The key to it is production. If you’re a midfielder you’re thinking, do I score, do I create? What does he do? He doesn’t do much in that sense.
“He’s tidy but he’s not gonna hurt you. He scores the odd goal once in a blue moon but you can’t rely on him.
“He’s a good continuity player. But I think he’s a squad player. That’s why I think Bissouma alongside Thomas Partey would be ideal for Arsenal.”
Unfortunately we don’t currently have a decent option in the squad who we could play in his place, nor do we have enough numbers in that role to cope in his absence.
This summer we will surely be bringing in at least one central midfielder, but whether the manager will demote Xhaka in the long-term remains to be seen.
Patrick