Arsenal Transfer News: Granit Xhaka Reports Conflicted Amid Liverpool Rumours

Liverpool, not Arsenal, reportedly staged a meeting with representatives for Borussia Monchengladbach’s in-demand midfielder Granit Xhaka.

Tom Coast of Sport Witness delved into stories surfacing from Germany recently, and he noted a report from Bild claimed the Gunners had met with the player’s father. However SportBild have since carried a story that said those claims are wide of the mark and “only one meeting with a Premier League club took place for Xhaka, with Liverpool, all the way back in November.”

As Sport Witness added on Twitter, there are a lot of Premier League sides said to be keeping close tabs on the player:

The story fits in with comments made by the 23-year-old himself recently. “If someone claims to have seen my father negotiating in London, they should show me the photo! No one from London has been here to negotiate,” he told publication Express, per James Whaling of the Daily Mirror.

While stories about the Monchengladbach man’s long-term future seem to be at odds with one another at the moment, what is indisputable is Xhaka’s class. This clip shows what he could bring to the Premier League:

Xhaka is a player who excels in so many different areas on the field. Here’s how he compares with some of the Gunners’ current options in central midfield in league matches this term:

	Xhaka	Coquelin	Ramsey
Apps (Sub)	23	18 (2)	25
Goals	2	0	5
Assists	0	0	3
Passes per game	85.1	44.8	69.2
Passing accuracy	85.2 %	89.3 %	85.9 %
Dribbles per game	0.9	1.4	1.2
Tackles per game	2.5	3.1	2.5
Interceptions per game	2.8	3.4	1.9

Midfield is a facet of Arsenal's squad that has been secure for a long time, yet this season there’s been a growing sense something new is needed in the engine room.

As a physical, left-sided, industrious and tough-tackling presence, Xhaka seems to tick all the boxes for the Gunners. He’s a young player who has continued to improve in the Bundesliga this season, and although he does need to curb his appetite for challenges on occasion, he’s a footballer who looks ready to take the next step.

PATRIK STOLLARZ/Getty Images

Bleacher Report’s James McNicholas feels as though the Swiss international could also bring the leadership skills to the Emirates Stadium that have been scarce for a while now:

Liverpool could scupper those plans, though, it seems. The club are poised to undertake their own rebuilding job under manager Jurgen Klopp, and it’s easy to see why a player such as Xhaka, who revels in high-intensity games, would love to work under the German coach.

The Reds will not be in the UEFA Champions League next year barring a late surge in the Premier League or UEFA Europa League glory, and it’s something that could count against them. Xhaka’s current Borussia side certainly stand a better chance of qualifying for the competition at this point, and while Liverpool would not be a step down, he’ll want to playing at the elite level.

Michael Regan/Getty Images

As DW Sports’ Alex Chaffer noted here, it’s not as if the Swiss is currently operating at the heart of a poor side:

That could give Arsenal the edge if it does turn into a straight shootout between the two teams. Manager Arsene Wenger has resisted when it comes to bringing in a rumbustious, powerful, box-to-box midfielder down the years, much to the bemusement of supporters and detriment of the team. 

If he can acquire a player like Xhaka, who has the talents to be a successful linchpin in north London for many years, such reluctance could be forgiven at last.