Considering how set in stone most fans are in modern football, to have a U-turn as large as Granit Xhaka's is nearly impossible.
To go from outcast, not needed, unwanted and a plague on the team to the very epitome of Mikel Arteta's current side is remarkable. The Swiss international will now be readying himself for a World Cup, in-which he will enter in the best form of his career, and he will leave London a firm fan-favourite.
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In his entire playing career - which started in 2010 as a 17-year-old - Xhaka has always had more bookings than goal contributions. In six of the past 12 seasons, he has hit at least ten yellow cards, and in six, he has been sent off at least once. That was, in effect, the Xhaka that Arsenal purchased for £40m.
His talent was there as a 23-year-old, but the raw ability and a hot streak saw him get sent off twice. He only scored two goals that season. Not that his entire worth is down to goals, he has never scored more than four in a league season, but the change of role, responsibility and use only goes further to demonstrate the detox that has happened.
His tally of three goals and three assists is currently triple the amount of bookings he has received, whilst he is on course for career-best totals in both categories going forward. His newfound place in the leadership group under Mikel Arteta is also extremely important. Xhaka feels wanted at the Emirates and plays like it too.
His intangible characteristics drew Jose Mourinho to him over the summer. According to Tutto Mercato, when it comes to defensive midfielders, the Portuguese boss is often a good yardstick as a judge. He doesn't get many wrong in that area of the pitch.
What Xhaka is doing now is something that he has always been capable of. Striking a ball hard enough to rip the net off, controlling games, and dominating the midfield. This was his promise, and he's now delivering and has become a non-transferable player to Arteta, reports in Italy suggest. Not even a 'monstrous' offer would move him from north London.
Should Juventus not have kept Adrien Rabiot or Aaron Ramsey in 2020, then Xhaka could have ended up in Italy at that time. Mourinho's valuation of just £15m over the summer fell short of the £24m that Edu wanted, and nothing happened. Things could have been very different, but still, very few predicted the rise of Xhaka.
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