According to trades specialist Fabrizio Romano, Arsenal has officially been granted the “all clear” to begin talks with Bayer Leverkusen about purchasing former club captain Granit Xhaka.
What is the most recent Granit Xhaka transfer news from Arsenal?
After almost a week of silence following the announcement that West Ham United had accepted an offer of £105 million for their captain Declan Rice, it has now been confirmed that a payment structure has been reached and the England international will be having his medical with the Gunners soon.
The board has approved the decision to sell Switzerland international Xhaka, despite the fact that it came at a significant financial cost to the Arsenal.
Before the season’s last contest, it was made known that the former Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder would be departing the organization.
However, as a safety measure, any agreement had to be postponed until Rice’s predicament was resolved.
With that issue resolved, the club is alleged to have accepted a £21.5 million bid from Bundesliga powerhouse Bayer Leverkusen, who reportedly gave the 30-year-old a four-year contract.
The end of his seven-year stay in north London will mark his transformation from the city’s worst adversary to a cult icon, but Rice’s arrival would have inevitably reduced his playing time.
On his YouTube channel, transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano provided an explanation of the problem, saying:
The transfer will be finalized in the coming days since Granit Xhaka has received the go-ahead from Bayer Leverkusen; they were only waiting for the Declan Rice transaction to finish.
Last season, how effective was Granit Xhaka?
The Swiss skipper has had a difficult time in North London, to put it mildly. He went from being almost universally despised by the spectators to a man who was serenaded for much of the previous season before receiving a standing ovation on his final appearance for the team.
His performance for the team, which transformed him from a passable player to an undisputed starter in a title-chasing squad, has been one of the primary factors in that turnaround.
According to WhoScored, the Basel-born machine drastically increased his attacking threat last season, scoring seven goals and assisting on another seven, for a superb average rating of 6.98 over his 37 Premier League appearances.
His underlying numbers prove that it wasn’t just luck last year either, but a sustained improvement to his overall game.
According to FBref, who compare players in a similar position across Europe’s top five leagues, the midfield destroyer sits in the top 4% for touches in the opposition’s penalty area, the top 8% for non-penalty goals, the top 15% for non-penalty expected goals and expected assists, and the top 16% for shot-creating actions, all per 90.
Mikel Arteta has made no secret of the admiration he feels for his player either, describing him as:
“Really, really important on every level, for the team and for the club as well. In the great moments like the season he has had, and in the difficult ones.”
Whilst the Gunners are certainly getting an upgrade in the form of Rice, Xhaka has well and truly left his mark on the club and has been able to leave with his head held high.