In a recent report, Football.London has offered an update on the future of Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka with AS Roma confident about landing him this summer. It is believed that the Gunners midfield ace is willing to seal a move away from the Emirates Stadium as Mikel Arteta hopes to entertain offers starting from £20m in this off-season (via Football.London).
Xhaka’s Underwhelming Season In English Football
Xhaka has endured a frustrating campaign at North London as he has struggled to help Arsenal find consistency in terms of results on the field. The Swiss international has made 45 appearances for Arteta’s side this term, scoring one goal and grabbing two assists in multiple competitions.
However, the 28-year-old deserves a little bit of credit for averaging 1.6 tackles, 0.8 interceptions, 1.2 clearances, 0.7 shots and 0.5 key passes per game in Premier League football this season. He has even been excellent when distributing possession from midfield after completing 90.2% of his attempted passes in the English top tier (stats via whoscored).
At 28, Xhaka is still at his prime and could be tempted with the opportunity to join Jose Mourinho’s revolution at Roma this summer as he will be guaranteed regular playing minutes in the coming seasons.
Why The Gunners Need To Cash In On Xhaka This Summer
Xhaka has established himself as a solid defensive midfielder during his time at the Emirates Stadium. He can sense the danger quickly and excels at using his strong frame to shield the ball and earn possession back for his side.
However, the 92-time Swiss international has sometimes been guilty of being inconsistent in top-flight football which is why Arteta should consider cashing in on him so that he can raise some funds for other incoming transfers this summer.
Arsenal are in dire need to add more quality to their squad and in reality, that will only be possible if Arteta decides to let some of his underperforming stars leave so that he has enough financial muscle to recruit some fresh faces ahead of the new campaign.
Xhaka is currently not playing at a level that could help the Gunners get back to the Premier League’s top-four next season. All in all, it is only logical for the player and the North London club to part ways with each other this summer as both parties can move on in search of greener pastures.
