Without having access to a massive data analytical database and polling ten thousand Arsenal fans it is impossible to give an accurate reflection on what exactly the fans want when it comes to Granit Xhaka but one can have a damn good guess.
You get a feeling for these things and apart from the odd person that wants to see Xhaka as captain or claiming he could be great given more time the feeling I get is that most fans would happily see him leave for the right price.
Confidence is low that he will all of a sudden improve after three years of mediocrity and that if a decent enough bid comes in, say between £30-£40 Million then it makes sense for Arsenal to take that money and invest it in a player that would be an upgrade.
But is it as simple as that, you have to remember that Xhaka was in an Arsene Wenger team that was grossly underperforming and last season was under a new manager adopting a new style of play.
Point is, has Xhaka really had the opportunity to show us what he is capable of on a consistent basis? He is just 26 and still has his best years ahead of him, he is clearly talented but has never quite shown us what he is truly capable of.
Under the right circumstances and next season could be that time he may well excel, it is a valid point to say that he simply has not been allowed to be at his best for the last three seasons.
But how far can that argument be pushed, players in clubs below Arsenal like Ryan Fraser at Bournemouth of Wilfred Ndidi at Leicester City have shown they can play at a high level for their team even when surrounded by mediocrity.
Personally, I would sell him for anything above £30 Million but I do understand the alternative points of view that I have expressed a little in this article.
Yes, Xhaka must go and there’s no two ways about it.He has failed to show us over three seasons that he’s good enough for the team.His weaknesses are exposed in a league like the EPL because he’s a player who requires much time on the ball to make meaningful use of it.He makes too many mistakes and he doesn’t deserve another chance next season.He must leave!Guendouzi,though I do not rate him that much if played in the right position will prove to be much better than Xhaka.
I wish we gave Ismael Bennacer more first team chances because he is far better than Xhaka and Guendouzi but left because he needed more first team opportunities.
I wouldn’t mind if we can bring Rabiot on a free
And use the money to invest in our defense
Tah and Kimpempe preferably flanked by Tierney
Gooooooooo!!!!
Koscielny wants to leave Arsenal this summer and head back to France
Koscielny has received offers from Lyon, Saint-Etienne and Nantes. Arsenal ideally want to keep but will respect players decision as soon as a replacement is signed.
Arsenal candidates to replace Koscielny include Eray Cömert, Kasim Adams, Shane Duffy, Ozan Kabak and Joachim Andersen.
Granit Xhaka, Hector Bellerin and Alexandre Lacazette are in the mix to be named club captain if(possibly when) Koscielny leaves.
Saliba deal just depends on Saint Etienne and Arsenal being able to agree whether to loan him back or not.The player himself doesn’t want the move back but like with Kurt Zouma Saint Etienne want him back on loan again for a season.Personal terms already agreed.
A bid of arpund £17m was indeed submitted by Arsenal for Tierney and it was knocked back.
Probably Captain Kos could act as make weight plus cash for us to have Ndombele ?
Xhaka should leave if we are getting a replacement. He is not Arsenal’s quality. His performances over the years have been a joke. We need someone better.
We would have been in the CL if it was not for that twat Xhaka giving stupid penalties away
“That twat” – love it Malcolm ?
I agree with most that he is not good enough. However I strongly believe that the money will be wasted, knowing arsenal we will sell him and use the money to buy another goalkeeper or something. If guendouzi, amn, torrera were left there would we be strong enough?
Please let him go now, he is lazy and a waste of space.
Xhaka must stay he is still very young who do we wan to bring for his replacement Xhaka is Google player he needed more time under a new manager and Coach our new assistant first team Coach would want him to stay . Let give this Guy time . Period.
I don’t understand d rational behind the debate at all.After three seasons ,a player bought to improve on first quality has been proven a failure. Xhaka lacks d pace,physical combativeness and mentally required of a mid Felder to excel for arsenalin a league like d premiership. He is slow and clumsy in almost anything (no wonder he commits a lot of fouls and penalties in big games).How can Dhaka be a captain ,when he can’t motivate himself (not to talk of others) Imagine him saying when it was 2-0 vs Chelsea at d Europa l.final it was over.A captain shld be passionate and able to motivate himself and his team mates not a sulking baby.Arsenal needs a warrior,who fights for fans and club on the pitch and Xhaka is very far from this qualities….especially now that arsenal will bring in young players who will need to learn from passionate and competitive Senior players.Let him go for a good bargain and get better quality players.If Xhaka remains in d first team he will be a negative influence directly or indirectly.
We should sell xhaka and elneny and buy doucoure and Gomes if the available for 30m and 20m.
He has to go! Yes he has a fine shot in him, but that doesn’t make up for all the blunders & costly errors he repeatedly makes!
My expectations, when we signed him haven’t been met.. after the Brighton game – I am done!!!
Cash in on him & possibly make a profit – a rarity these days!!
@Sue, did you really just write that about one of your handsome crushes! Has his performance been that bad that it has overshadowed his good looks
Hi Abel ? Xhaka isn’t my cup of tea, so to speak! ?
A really good question, taking into account you reference to AW’s last season.
All of our players were underperforming as Arsene struggled to motivate, not only himself, but his players.
Enter UE…with basically the same squad (I acknowledge his signings) this manager certainly did get more from the squad, hence the final and, what should have been, third place.
Like Declan, I hate criticising our players, especially after coming so close to a successful season.
If UE is able to get the players he wants, working under the constraints of kronkie, there is no reason to move Xhaka on, at least as a priority.
The rumour mill, true or not,seems to be identifying the areas we most need to look at, so the one player that I would like to see offered to other clubs is Mustafi, but that’s another topic.
Game after game it’s just comical blunders from Xhaka. It’s almost as if he’s trolling us everytime he steps on the pitch. Probably he thinks to himself, “How much of me can these clowns tolerate?” Someone declared him the midfield version of Mustafi. I fully agree. If we can somehow get that £30M fee for him, I’d take it quickly.
Additionally, if we could get that imaginary, £60M, for Guendouzi (ridiculous, I know) I’d take it too. Then id sign Ndombele and Doucoure. Robust, mostly blunder-free midfielders that can be counted on to not have a brain-fart every other fortnight.
“The Xhaka debate” it is, rather oddly, called. A true “debate” comprises passionate views on both, (and sometimes more than two) sides. I may have missed the “odd” supportive comment FOR Xhaka but it strongly seems to me that virtuallY all Gooners would really like this player out of Arsenal, many of them desperately soon , my self included. Thus there is NO TRUE “DEBATE” AT ALL. Some have said he may NEED to be kept in the short term for reasons of KROENKES Scrooginess, BUT are there ANY comments at ALL from REAL Xhaka raters? If so, then I may need specs but rather think I do not!
This cumbersome, immobile, slow witted, slow paced , hotheaded individual was a rank bad buy and a near total waste of approx £35 million. The sooner he goes, the better for Arsenal!
Spot on Jon … but for me this is also a test if emery as a manager … everyone can see this guy is not up to epl standard let alone top 4 contenders … and never has been … whoever watched this guy and saw a 35m quids worth of talent needs to go back to primary school … so should be a no brainer for emery as he inherited him .. let’s see
We’re turning into Newcastle.The similarity’s are frightening.Thats the next 50 years down the toilet.oh & the Xhaka question is not even a debate.Dump for whatever we can get.
Because of Xhaka I’m a Arsenal
On this game you need motivation
And Xhaka it’s one of who can motivate you
Good passers good talking skills
So for me from Atlanta Georgia
Xhaka should be a captain
I for one will not be pulled into a “mass debate” about Granny Xhaka !
I`m not a GILF sort of person !
Plenty of time I`ve had a “mass debate” about Mesut though !
Ozil, Xhaka, Mkhitaryan, Mustafi, Elneny, Jenkinson should be shown the ?
Error prone, too slow, and if he is the standard that we have set ourselves then we will struggle to get top 6 next season. 3 years of misplaced passes, stupid fouls, poor judgement leading to the opposition scoring.
His best season for us so far. Without a doubt our best midfielder this season. Very good in front of the camera answering journalists’ questions. Perhaps the player who has responded best to Emery’s instructions.
But despite all this, I’d love to see the back of him. Anything over 35 million, take it!! Good but not good enough!!
If somebody want to pay over his value, then he should be sold. Otherwise, it leaves us very short in midfield when we already need to buy so many players in many positions.