Reports in the English media have suggested that Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Granit Xhaka is in London and is very close to signing for Premier League giants Arsenal FC.
According to the Independent, Xhaka has has already gone through a medical at the club, and is very close to joining Arsene Wenger’s team.
Meanwhile, other reports suggest that Arsenal have already signed Xhaka. Italian journalist Emanuele Giulianelli, who writes for La Gazzetta dello Sport and FourFourTwo, says the Gunners have already signed up the Swiss midfielder for €33.5 million.
Xhaka in London this morning & did complete medical. Everything is set for him to sign for Arsenal €33.5m rising to €40m on appearances/wins
— Emanuele Giulianelli (@EmaGiulianelli) May 20, 2016
The Gunners have also been linked with Premier League champions Leicester City’s Players’s Player of the Year award winner N’Golo Kante. However, they already have a number of midfielders, and it seems unlikely that they will sign both these players in the same season. Thus, the closer we get to a Xhaka transfer, the more it seems that Kante will not be moving to Arsenal. So lets have a look at who would be better for Arsenal — Xhaka of Kante.
Similar roles
Both the players are defensive midfielders, who can contribute to attack. It has long been established that Arsenal need a good holding midfielder, who will be able to win the ball back for their more creative players to work their magic.
But, when it comes to passing of the ball, Xhaka has shown much more mastery than Kante this season. On average, Xhaka had 67.81 successful passes per game in the Bundesliga this campaign. Compared to that, Kante clocked in lesser than half of Xhaka, with just 31.89 successful passes per game.
However, Leicester played a system that focuses more on quick counter attacks rather than concentrating on elaborate buildup play. This is quite evident from the fact that both the players have created 0.81 chances per game in their respective teams.
The Gunners are known more for their elaborate buildup play rather than their counter attacks, and that is an area where Xhaka could come in more handy. The Swiss international has vast experience playing this system, and will help strengthening the area.
Discipline
This is one area where Xhaka needs to improve a lot. The Swiss international is known to be a bit of a hot head, and often gets carried away with his emotions.
While both Kante and Xhaka are good tacklers and can read the opponents’s game well, the latter often gets sucked into silly challenges that he can otherwise avoid. This has cost Xhaka a lot, as he saw seven yellow cards and three red cards in the Bundesliga this season.
Kante is a much more calm and collective player. The 25 year old has made the most number of interceptions in Europe this season (156). That coupled with 125 successful tackles in the Premier League makes a very good case for Kante as a defensive midfielder.
Compared to that Xhaka has made only 54 successful tackles and 72 interceptions all season. To top that off, Kante has received just three yellow (and no red) cards in the entire Premier League campaign, which makes the Frenchman a better choice from the defensive angle.
Leadership
This is one area where Arsenal seriously need some help. The Gunners have never really had a proper midfield enforcer after Patrick Viera, and desperately need someone to inject some enthusiasm in the middle of the park.
Kante is a great player with a lot of good attributes, but his calm demeanour can be his downfall in this area. The Frenchman does not seem like the person who will lead a hungry team out onto the pitch. Nor does he look like a player who will help his teammates take the game by the scruff of its neck when things aren’t going their way.
On the other hand, Xhaka has shown great leadership qualities during his time in German football. The Swiss international has already become club captain at Monchengladbach, and the tender age of 23. Xhaka is a natural leader from the middle of the park, and will invariably assert himself on the game. He has proved his leadership qualities, which will be a huge plus at Arsenal who generally lack natural leaders in the middle of the park.
