Granit Xhaka has already got the hang of London street slang. A video posted on Arsenal’s official YouTube channel showed his team-mate Alex Iwobi teaching the new boy exactly the kind of words he should know during his time in the capital. While the humorous clip illustrates just how well Xhaka has settled into the club, the 23-year-old has yet to be given a run in Arsene Wenger’s starting XI for a whole host of reasons, which were hinted at by the Frenchman on Friday. Brought to the club for a fee in excess of £30 million this summer, Xhaka was courted by Wenger months beforehand and it proved to be the persuasive phone call in German from the Arsenal manager promising him footballing "paradise" that sealed the deal - and understandably. When Wenger calls, you go. Ask any player over the years and they will confirm that the 66-year-old’s charming nature and words of wisdom have a great effect on an individual because his honesty and straight talking comes across with the utmost sincerity.
Xhaka’s midfield qualities are unique and rare in modern football. He is a combative leader who can mix up the rough side of the game with the classy, deft passes and touches that are usually identified with the likes of Mesut Ozil and Santi Cazorla. He possesses exactly the right blend of defence and attack to become a more-than-welcome addition to the Arsenal team, and it’s this fact that has unsurprisingly prompted many supporters to question why the former Borussia Monchengladbach man has only started two games so far. For Wenger, the reason for Xhaka’s omission is simple: he wanted to bring stability to a midfield that was overran and dominated by Liverpool on the opening day of the season. Arsenal’s partnership of Francis Coquelin and Mohamed Elneny looked below-par on the day and it’s not a combination Wenger has used since that disappointing 4-3 defeat at Emirates Stadium. Since then, the duo of Coquelin and Cazorla has predominantly been used as Arsenal have gone four games unbeaten in all competitions.
"It's not about his quality at the moment, he's adapting to the pace of the English game and it’s about pairs who work together," the Frenchman said. "You know, Coquelin and Cazorla have worked well together but he will play games and every week he is stronger and better. I think he will have a huge impact as a player." Indeed, the last-minute win against Southampton and onslaught from Paris Saint-Germain resulting in a late draw may not be the kind of comprehensive team performances that Wenger is looking for, but the Gunners do continue to grind out the results that a title-challenging side should be recording. The Frenchman clearly has faith in the ‘Coqzorla’ partnership and it’s that synthesis he feels is a solid base to work from while Xhaka’s acclimatisation process goes on. "He has the stature, the power, he has the strength. What we want is for him to use that in a very efficient way. He’s short [physically] you know," Wenger added.
"I think he has adapted quite well personally. His physical strength and power allowed him to pretend to play straight away. "I personally prefer him as a box-to-box player, because he has the engine, the power and he has the long pass. He likes to come deep and distribute the game. I think, as well, he has the engine to have an impact with his runs.” Those revealing comments about Xhaka's future position in the Arsenal team provoke many questions. The Swiss international rarely turns his marker and arrives into dangerous areas like his team-mate Aaron Ramsey. Perhaps Wenger's comments were said in haste due to the rushed nature of his press conference on Friday afternoon, but it would seem almost absurd for Xhaka to play as a box-to-box player with the likes of Santi Cazorla and Aaron Ramsey in the team.
When fully fit, Arsenal's best midfield trio would surely be Xhaka playing defensive midfielder with one of Cazorla or Ramsey playing alongside him. If Wenger decides to play his £30m man as a box-to-box player than it could do more harm to the team then good. For now, it's all about forging a regular spot in the Arsenal midfield and securing that much-needed experience in the Premier League. Xhaka is still a young player and has plenty of room to improve but if he can pick up the game time over the coming weeks and months in his favoured position then he will undoubtedly be another famous Wenger signing. And if it doesn't work out, well, we'll leave the rest to Granit himself: “Maybe not everything will work out for me, but one thing the fans need to know is that I will always give my all."
