Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger issues warning to £35m new boy Granit Xhaka that he’s not guaranteed a starting spot
Swiss midfielder told he will not walk into the Gunners side despite his £35m fee
GRANIT XHAKA has been warned he won’t walk straight into the Arsenal team despite his £35million price tag.
It was only three weeks ago that Arsene Wenger was comparing Swiss international Xhaka to former Gunners hero Emmanuel Petit.
But the tough-tackling midfielder has been on the subs’ bench ever since and is once again sweating over his place in the starting line-up for Saturday's trip to Hull.
Wenger explains: “For me, it’s about pairs who work well together and Santi Cazorla and Francis Coquelin have 50 or 60 games as a partnership, which has an impact on my decisions.
“It’s not about Xhaka’s quality but we are only one month into the season and he still adapts to the pace of the English game.
related stories
“But he is getting stronger and better every week and I think he will have a huge impact as a player.
“He has the stature, the power and the strength and what we want now is for him to use that in a very efficient way to impose himself.
“Many new signings took some time to get into the team. Xhaka will do that without any problem.”
The no-nonsense 23-year-old was signed from Borussia Moenchengladbach this summer as a holding midfielder.
But to nobody’s surprise, Wenger plans to convert him into a more attacking player, which explains he felt able to allow Jack Wilshere leave on loan.
“I personally prefer Xhaka as a box-to-box player because he has the engine, the power and the long pass,” Wenger says.
“He likes to come deep and distribute the game but I think he also has the motor to have an impact with his runs.
“We have always had good midfield players and Xhaka and Mohamed Elneny have added big competition to the squad. I’m sure both of them will get into the team.”
Wenger is convinced that his team are back on track after a shaky start to the season but admits that striker Olivier Giroud is still struggling for fitness almost two months after playing at the Euros.
He said: “Fitness-wise he has been behind the likes of Laurent Koscielny and Mesut Ozil and it has taken him some time to get back.
“He’s slowly getting back to full fitness but he got a little knock to his big toe on Tuesday night in Paris so I will have to check if he is fit and available.”