Arsenal officially announced their first signing of the summer, Granit Xhaka, from Borussia Monchengladbach for an undisclosed fee. The Swiss midfielder will be joining his teammates at Emirates Stadium after fulfilling his commitments with the national team in EURO 2016.
Xhaka has been very impressive since his days at FC Basel, his hometown club, where he spent 10 years and got promoted through the youth ranks. He moved to Borussia Monchengladbach in 2012. Xhaka has been tipped as an aggressive midfielder who often puts up a dominant display.
In his 108 appearances for the German Club, Xhaka has managed 106 shots on goal and as far as his defensive contributions are concerned, he has a total of 227 interceptions. His arrival will be important for Arsenal, as Flamini and Arteta will be leaving Arsenal before next season starts.
Arsene Wenger faced heavy criticism from fans after his transfer window decisions last season. But unlike last summer, Wenger seems to have started building his team beforehand. Xhaka will provide the much needed strength to Arsenal’s midfield, which they lacked towards the end of the season.
