Xhaka’s out the door. Partey isn’t too far behind him, what with Juventus and AC Milan interested, plus interest from Saudi sides Al-Ahli, Al-Khaleej and Al-Nassr. While Xhaka’s transfer to Bayer Leverkusen is all but done, Partey’s process is still unfolding. If it’s true that both of the beating hearts of our midfield are to depart this summer, we’ll have to think long and hard about what that means and how to deal with those ramifications.
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Few players in recent memory will spark as many varied reactions as would Granit Xhaka. Signed in May 2016 for a fee that approached £40m after we allegedly back away from signing N’Golo Kanté (who joined Chelsea on a somewhat lower £32m fee), Xhaka has provoked what we’ll delicately dub mixed emotions. He’s now off to Bayer Leverkusen. Au revoir, ShoXhana. Au revoir indeed.
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At a risk of overlooking our last two opponents, it’s worth looking ahead to summer business. One can walk and chew gum at the same time, after all. Yes, we’d do well to be wary of Nottingham Forest, who are still struggling to stave off relegation, and Wolves are always up for a feisty scrap (should we celebrate if we beat them? Hmmm…). Without ignoring those speed-bumps, it’s well-worth looking at some vital summer business that has nothing at all and also everything to do with key players like Xhaka, Smith-Rowe, and Tierney, among others. Let the culling begin.
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Name for me an Arsenal play whose reputation has plumbed the unfathomable depths that Granit Xhaka’s reputation has. Now, name for me an Arsenal player those reputation reached those depths and then rose to such heights. The redemption arc is real: from that 2019 nadir against Crystal Palace, when he was booed off the pitch. Few people recover from the setbacks he’s suffered. Having said all that, though, might this summer be the time to sell Xhaka?
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Chelsea put on their best Tottenham impression, conceding three goals in just over half an hour as Arsenal waltzed away to do the double over Chelsea for the second time in three years. Captain Martin Ødegaard and his loyal sidekick connected twice with the former captain finding the current one with two very similar passes into the box to Ødegaard, who cleverly eluded his (admittedly clueless) marks. Just like that, we’re back on top, there this time to say (no, not really).
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