Scouting Arsenal Transfer Target Granit Xhaka

The transfer window is upon us, and Premier League managers are working tirelessly to strengthen their squads. Arsenal look as if they may have their first piece of business almost complete, but already there are rumours linking them with a number of other moves—including a swoop for Borussia Monchengladbach’s Granit Xhaka.

This window feels like a particularly pivotal one for Arsenal. The Gunners sit top of the Premier League table, and Arsene Wenger will be aware that his club are presented with a superb opportunity to go on and claim their first title in more than a decade. 

Wenger knows he must do all he can to ensure that Arsenal have as good a chance as possible of landing the league. That means being more active than usual in the transfer period—Wenger would surely struggle to forgive himself if being neglectful in the window led to the collapse of Arsenal’s challenge.

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Their bid to recruit new players is already under way with the impending addition of Egyptian midfielder Mohamed Elneny from Basel. Speaking to Sky Sports at his pre-match press conference, Wenger confirmed the deal was only being held up by red tape: 

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I expect Mohamed yes, we are positive that this week it can happen.

The situation should be sorted out. There are a lot of work permit problems and special paperwork to do, (the) visa, so we hope we can finalise it this week.

As long as it is not definitely signed, you have to be cautious, but I am optimistic about the case.

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It’s not surprising to see Arsenal move for a midfielder. With Santi Cazorla and Francis Coquelin sidelined until the spring, and persistent concerns over the fitness of both Jack Wilshere and Mikel Arteta, the Gunners are in dire need of able-bodied reinforcements. 

However, their bid to bolster their midfield many not end at Elneny. Simon Jones of the Daily Mail claims that Wenger’s next move will be to launch a £37 million bid for Swiss international Xhaka: 

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Arsenal are continuing to check on Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Granit Xhaka.

Staff watched the Switzerland international during the recent Champions League tie with Manchester City and have watched him in the Bundesliga also.

Arsenal have a long-standing interest in the 23-year-old who has also been linked with Bayern Munich as they evaluate potential replacements for the ageing Xabi Alonso. 

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Wenger’s always held an interest in Swiss football. He brought over Johan Djourou and Philippe Senderos as teenagers, having been impressed with their exploits at youth level. Now, it seems, his interest has been piqued by the senior game. Elneny was a regular at Swiss champions Basel, while Xhaka—who left the same club to ply his football in Germany—is a fixture in the international side.

In pure numbers terms, this would be a slightly surprising move. The addition of Elneny would mean Arsenal have a surplus of central midfielders on their books. However, perhaps Wenger is thinking long-term. Mathieu Flamini and Mikel Arteta will both be out of contract at the end of the season, and the chances of them securing new deals appear minimal. With Wilshere’s injury problems continuing to derail his career, it’s possible Wenger is considering cutting his losses and rebuilding his midfield roster.

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Xhaka has the ability to form a big part of that new-look midfield. This is a guy who can do almost everything. He is robust enough to operate as an effective ball-winner but is also blessed with wonderful technical skill. He is as comfortable making a sliding challenge as he is pinging a 30-yard pass across the pitch. He’s got a good long-range shot, too, and is a considerable threat at set pieces. At 23, he could yet become the complete midfielder.

A left-footer, he would make for a nice contrast to Arsenal’s existing contingent of midfield players. Ramsey, Coquelin, Elneny and Flamini are all right-footed, so Xhaka would immediately introduce some variety and balance.

The Xabi Alonso comparison is not unjustified. Xhaka is a gifted distributor of the ball from the base of the midfield. At Arsenal, he would effectively operate as a replacement for Arteta. Like the Spaniard, he is capable of operating as an advanced player as well as a defensive midfielder. He would be tasked with instigating Arsenal’s passing game from deep, most likely alongside a box-to-box player like Aaron Ramsey. If Flamini and Arteta are to go, Elneny and Xhaka seem like appropriate replacements.

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Perhaps the most analogous Premier League player would be Bastian Schweinsteiger. Like Schweinsteiger, when Xhaka made his breakthrough it was initially thought he might become a No. 10. However, he quickly matured into a player capable of dictating the entire tempo of a match from a deeper position. In fact, former Switzerland and Bayern Munich coach Ottmar Hitzfeld once labelled him the "young Schweinsteiger" (h/t Goal.com).

This would be a difficult deal to pull off. After a really poor start to their Bundesliga campaign, Monchengladbach have recovered to surge up the table in the lead-up to Christmas. They sit in fourth position, and Xhaka has been instrumental in that recent run. The chances of the German club being prepared to let him leave halfway through the season are slim.

The fee would be considerable, too. According to the Daily Star (h/t the Mirror), Arsenal would expect to have to pay around £37 million to get their man. That would be the second-highest fee in the club’s history, beaten only by the price tag paid to lure Mesut Ozil from Real Madrid.

However, if there was ever a time to push the boat out, this is surely it. Arsenal are on the verge of history, and will need all the help they can get to ensure they get over the line. With Arteta and Flamini seemingly on the way out, Arsenal will need to recruit a midfielder of Xhaka’s calibre come the summer. Wenger might be wise to bring that deal forward to improve his chances of ending 2015/16 at the summit of the Premier League.

James McNicholas is Bleacher Report's lead Arsenal correspondent and is following the club from a London base throughout 2015/16. Follow him on Twitter here.