This article forms part of our Total Duds feature series, which is where Football Transfer Tavern takes a look at how a player has fared since being signed or sold, using statistical figures and statements from pundits to prove how bad a deal the club got.
When Arsenal signed Granit Xhaka for £40.5 million from Borussia Mönchengladbach back on the 1st July 2016, he was perhaps bought as an answer to the north London club’s issues in defensive midfield.
The Gunners had arguably not had a powerhouse that could dominate the centre of the park since Patrick Vieira left, and spending so much money on a man who had never played in the Premier League would likely to have been seen as a risk at the time. Nevertheless, Xhaka’s skillset was compared to that of another French midfield legend at the club in Emmanuel Petit.
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As per AFC’s official website, Xhaka had the ideal qualities to fit into Arsene Wenger’s possession-based system, but spending that kind of money arguably should yield regular goal and assist contributions.
In his debut season, the 27-year old scored four goals and provided three assists in 46 appearances in all competitions, according to Transfermarkt. For a man who likes to pass the ball and have a pop at goal, these stats should arguably be higher. To make matters worse, he showed his ill-discipline by missing seven games through suspension.
His market value stayed at £31.5 million throughout the campaign, and only started to rise at the end of the 2017/18 term. Xhaka played in every Premier League match, but the Gunners finished in their worst position under Wenger in sixth. This was to be the 70-year old’s final season, leaving the Swiss international to play under a different manager to the one who bought him.
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Nevertheless, his market value rose to £36 million and continued to increase to a peak £45 million by the middle of the 2018/19 campaign under Unai Emery.
Xhaka played 51 times under the Spanish coach, netting four times and making six assists, as per Transfermarkt. Again, for the price tag, these numbers arguably need to be higher, especially given what he did to supporters.
Earlier this term, he was stripped of the captaincy following an angry confrontation with Gooners at the Emirates, which definitely does not help his cause.
Xhaka has played in 29 matches in all competitions this season, producing a mere assist (via Transfermarkt). However, his market value has dropped to £21.6 million, the lowest it has been at Arsenal.
Given his current value, his arguments with supporters and his arguable lack of goals and assists, the Gunners will never be able to yield a profit if they decided to sell him in the future.
Gooners, has Xhaka been a success at the club? Comment below!
