Granit Xhaka is proven in the Premier League, Adrien Rabiot is not.
Arsenal has been linked with several players in this transfer window although the club has reservations about the players they have been linked to.
The Gunners have had a tough time this season and players have underperformed for much of the campaign.
Fans have also struggled with the team’s performance and some players have borne the brunt of their anger.
Granit Xhaka is one player who has divided opinion among fans since he became an Arsenal player and he fell out spectacularly with the supporters this season.
Since the falling out, he has been stripped of the captain’s armband and he looked unhappy before Mikel Arteta came.
He has, however, continued to be linked with a move away with Hertha Berlin keen to take him on.
Recent reports claim that Arsenal would allow him to leave if they can secure a deal for Juventus’s Adrien Rabiot.
Signing Rabiot to replace Xhaka looks a good deal on paper, but I think it is not and here are my reasons.
Rabiot has struggled to make an impact in Italy, I am fairly sure that he would struggle in the Premier League, at least in the early stages.
Xhaka’s experience in the Premier League also makes him one of our most valuable assets in midfield and selling him for an unknown quantity could cause us to lose all the momentum we have gained so far.
I also believe that Adrien Rabiot is a disruptive player, his problems with PSG before he left them can attest to that.
Xhaka isn’t perfect, but he has been solid for us since Arteta became our manager and he looks like he could get better, signing Rabiot as his replacement is just too much of a gamble for us right now.
Would do it in a heartbeat. We need to get rid of him so we can finally move on from the old regime.
Xhaka also disrespected the club and is to slow for the league. Proven he is not at the standard required.
Rabiot is younger more athletic and a better fit. His lack of game time at Juve due to adapting to the Italian league is not that big an issue in my opinion. Look who plays midfield for Juve – Bentacur, Pjanic, Can, Ramsay, Matuidi, Khedira.
Xhaka would be playing U23’s for them
Still say Kalvin Phillips would be ideal and well suited to playing in our system. Mobile, great passer, smells danger and versatile. Also educated by Bielsa.
Rabiot isn’t the best but
It would be a big improvement.
Xhaka is a good passer. That’s it
We need a better midfielder
Yes, Xhaka is proven in the Premier League, he has proven to be rubbish! Rabiot is an unknown quantity, but that is an upgrade on the factual rubbish we see from Xhaka. I can honestly say that Xhaka is one of worst midfielders I have ever seen at Arsenal. Personally, I don’t want Rabiot either given the baggage that comes with him.
If we want an upgrade on Xhaka this month, then head into the Championship, spend 5 million or less, job done!
Agree, like Spurs got Delli and turned out to be a good signing for them.Continental league players may not always be a success at AFC.
If Rabiot is that invaluable to Juventus as a player, I don’t think they will listen to offers made by clubs to sign him during this ongoing winter transfer window. But do I think if Arsenal sign Adrien Rabiot during this January window his signing will be an upgrade to the football quality that Xhaka brings to the table at Arsenal this season’s campaign? Well, I can’t say Yea or Nay because I don’t follow his football playing. But I believe Arsenal know very much about him and his football playing before they look to want to sign him if media reports that are saying so are true. But whatever be the case anyway, a proven top quality senior player upgrade in the Arsenal midfield to the quality that’s currently obtained there is desirous to have on ground at the club who can hit the ground running for Arsenal immediately they sign him and continues hitting the ground running for the club up to the end of this season’s campaign.
Sorry but by the looks of it xhaka is staying put. For me i don’t think thats the best thing for AFC but We have to put up with him.
At present Xhaka has a decent partnership going with Torreira and has the confidence of the coach, in case of Rabiot how many games has he played? actually i have heard its only 6 out of 20 plus games and at what point would he catch up with the pace of the EPL after rusting on JUventus bench. i think Arteta is being wise in trying to get the best out of this group before making a general assessment of what his team needs until the summer transfer window.
I am not saying that we should not get a DM cover or an attacking midfielder and a CB, but it is important to see what these players can achieve under his guidance, we know that some players will be leaving, but the majority seems like it will be loans and similar with those who are coming
The only midfielder I want from Juve I Pjanic. This guy can pass the ball, defensively sound and he’s a setpiece master. Not to mention his ball retention ability and long shots. He is what we thought Xhaka is when he joined us.
Sky are saying that Mikel has convinced him to stay!
Yes xhaka is PROVEN to be an absolute failure in this league. His physical deficiencies will always weaken our midfield as we have to compensate for him. We should only compensate for players with huge quality like aubameyang or ozil.
Rabiot, no thanks.Kalvin Phillips, yes please.Xhaka,for 25m let him go.
I hate this idea of selling a player to get anoda player, Xhaka should stay, bcos i rate him and torriera higher than guadonzi, we still need to sign a strong defensive midfielder so as to have options.
So explain why our midfield has been disfunctional for the last 4 years xhaka has been in it.
player management in my opinion, he’s looked a new player under Arteta
We fans must be missing something because why on hell would 5 managers would want him in their team. Not only that they portray him as one of the important players in the team as well. One thing I have noticed is no matter how much we hate the guy but without him our midfield is not balanced n he brings that possession n calmness on the ball. He is lacking on quick feet n mobility side of things but i think he brings other abilities to the table to compensate for those. Remember Paul scholes I think he was pretty similar to Xhaka not very mobile, had wicked shot, sprayer the ball all over the pitch from deep n did not have quick feet either. In my opinion scholes was well utilised by furgeson n Man United style.
You said everything right about xhaka. Our midfield can’t cope strongly with quality without him. I am behind Arteta to convince the guy to stay.
If xhaka stays, then please all those who think this useless player is ok, dont moan about how bad our midfield is because he IS the reason. We have been poor in midfield for the time he has been in it. And for goodness sake, you only have to look at the way he plays to see the guy is shat.
wholly agree with is article. Xhaka may have had his deficiencies in the past but I feel he should be judged on his oerformances since Arteta joined…he’s barely put a foot wrong so far
sk, Complete nonsense. He could and should have been sent off for constant fouls, esp in first half against LEEDS. You seem to think, rather oddly, that constant and reckless fouling, endangering thr teams chance of remaining with eleven men, is “barely putting a foot wrong”! I say that is absolute nonsense!
I really dont know where you have been looking sk, he nearly gave a goal away against Chelsea with a sloppy pass at the end, which helped lead to our downfall and his “performance” against Leeds was really an utter disgrace, the xhaka we know, giving fouls away in bad places, when discipline and actual tackling was required. I really dont know why people want or think he deserves chance after chance but as you say Arteta has but my major big problem with Emery was, his love for him. I thought he would let him down and he did, i think he will Arteta but again that is my opinion.
Has Xhaka played bad since Arteta became coach?……………..he gave the whole squad a clean slate, so as fans we should do the same.
Lets put the Rabiot back in the hat!
I nearly agree with you Le coq, so we dont need to sell elneny or mustaffi until we give them the same chance. Class is permanent, so is being crap. Lol