Arteta might’ve found Arsenal’s new Xhaka in gem who’s a “different beast”

It might be truthful to say that this season has not solely gone in accordance with plan for Arsenal.

Mikel Arteta’s facet have endured suspensions, poor kind and a mountain of accidents which have seen them fall six points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool.

Nevertheless, whereas the Spaniard has needed to cope with a large number of issues, there have been some positives, equivalent to Bukayo Saka taking one other step ahead and the emergence of squad gamers like Ethan Nwaneri.

In reality, there may be one other participant who’s caught individuals’s consideration this 12 months, a participant who may in the future be the membership’s new Granit Xhaka.

Granit Xhaka’s Arsenal profession

Xhaka joined Arsenal from Bundesliga facet Borussia Mönchengladbach within the summer of 2016 for around £30m, and it could in all probability be correct to say that for his first three or 4 years, he wasn’t a very beloved participant, partially for his tendency to make errors and the dearth of affect he’d have on video games.

This got here to a head in October 2019 when he swore on the Emirates crowd and threw the captain’s armband and shirt to the bottom after being booed when being substituted.

At that time, it regarded like his time in North London was over.

Nevertheless, Arteta was appointed supervisor simply a few months later and satisfied the Swiss worldwide to remain and combat, which is what he did.

Over the subsequent few years, the tenacious midfielder turned increasingly integral to how the workforce performed, offering assists, scoring targets and serving to to manage video games, and it was within the membership’s shock title problem in 22/23 that he reached the zenith of his powers.

Nevertheless, extra stunning than his unimaginable uptick in kind was the followers’ response, as by the top of that marketing campaign, he had his personal tune, which was frequently sung by followers residence and away.

After this fairytale redemption, the brand new fan favorite determined to name time on his Arsenal profession and joined Bayer Leverkusen for around £21m last summer.

Now, it could seem as if Arteta signed Mikel Merino this summer time in a bid to switch Xhaka within the left-eight place, and whereas which will work out for the subsequent few years, there may be an extremely thrilling academy graduate who could possibly be his long-term alternative.

Arsenal’s subsequent Xhaka

So, the academy graduate we’re speaking about is none apart from Myles Lewis-Skelly.

The 18-year-old prospect has made a number of cameo appearances this season and regarded sensible whereas doing so, however he actually stepped up on Wednesday evening as he made his first Champions League begin for the membership in opposition to AS Monaco and regarded sensational doing so.

In reality, the Islington-born gem was so good that soccer.london’s chief Arsenal author, Kaya Kaynak, awarded him an 8/10 match rating at full-time, writing that he regarded extremely ‘achieved’ on the ball and ‘confirmed composure past his years’ all through the encounter.

Now, there could also be a few of you scratching your heads and questioning how a younger left-back could possibly be the membership’s long-term inheritor to Xhaka, however hear us out.

The very first thing to think about is that, just like the Swiss worldwide, the teen, whom podcaster Will Balsam dubbed a “completely different beast”, appears to have an absolute wand of a left foot, which we noticed on full show when he performed a defence-splitting cross into Gabriel Jesus to arrange the workforce’s first purpose on Wednesday.

The second factor to recollect is that, just like the Leverkusen star, the Hale Ender’s main place is definitely in central midfield, and the very fact he can play on the left of a again 4 – like Xhaka may – is only a bonus.

For instance, throughout his appearances on the junior ranges and within the first workforce, 26 have come in defensive midfield, and ten have are available in central midfield, making it clear the place his main positions are.

In the end, whereas it could possibly be a number of years down the road, ought to Arteta transfer Lewis-Skelly into the left eight, then there may be each probability he could possibly be the Gunner’s new Xhaka.

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