After seven years at the club, Granit Xhaka's time as an Arsenal player looks to be over with the midfielder in advanced talks to join Bayer Leverkusen, football.london understands.
Despite enjoying his best season at Emirates Stadium where a more advanced midfield role has seen him hit 14 goal contributions from 45 games, Xhaka is seeking a new challenge away from the Gunners. His expected departure subsequently presents further dilemma's in the middle of the park for Mikel Arteta and Edu with additions in that position desperately needed.
As football.london have reported throughout 2023, West Ham star Declan Rice is the priority summer target for Arsenal. Other options in midfield include Brighton's Moises Caicedo, Real Sociedad's Martin Zubimendi, Chelsea star Mason Mount and Mohamed Kudus of Ajax.
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The chances of two midfield signings being made this summer appeared on the table and that was with Xhaka staying, however his exit could confirm that signing several players in that department is the plan.
Making two major additions in midfield would likely test Arsenal's financial power, but Arteta may already have the perfect player to be Xhaka's replacement in Emile Smith Rowe. The 22-year-old has faced a challenging campaign with injuries keeping him out of the team, while the form of others has also resulted in him being given limited minutes in his preferred position on the left of the attack.
While the Hale End graduate looks at his best out wide, Arteta has been training Smith Rowe in a new position, as revealed by football.london. "It's a bit of a mystery why he's hardly playing. I guess you could argue that Reiss Nelson is ahead of him at the moment, but Smith Rowe has been training as a central midfielder," chief Arsenal writer Kaya Kaynak wrote in a Q&A in early May.
"It's probably more apt to say that it's Fabio Vieira who's in front of him in the queue. That's despite a slow start to life in England for the former Porto man."
Vieira has struggled when deputising for Xhaka which further highlights the need for another player who can thrive in the No.8 role. Leandro Trossard has also been deployed there as the versatile Belgian has been able to continually prove he can adapt to multiple roles and the plan now seems to be that Smith Rowe will also be an option for Arteta in that key position.
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