The midfielder has completed a deal to join the Premier League side.
Johan Djourou has claimed that Arsenal signing Granit Xhaka has characteristics that remind him of Andrea Pirlo, Sky Sports reports.
The 23-year-old recently completed a deal that will see him move to the Emirates from Borussia Monchengladbach for around £30m, Sky Sports claims, and the Gunners’ former defender has suggested that his international teammate has the ability to justify the size of the fee by comparing him to the Italian legend.
“He’s a great ball player and a ball winner so I think in the midfield he could help a lot,” he told Sky Sports.
“He’s got the ability to play very long balls and precise balls. He reminds me a bit of Pirlo, the way he plays.”
While Arsenal fans will be delighted to see the club open the chequebook early on in the summer, they will undoubtedly be hoping that Xhaka is not the last arrival before the start of the new campaign after the disappointing few months that they endured this time last year when Petr Cech was the only signing.
That cagey strategy in the transfer market is arguably one of the main reasons why Arsene Wenger’s men came up short in the title race once again.
But with Djourou backing Xhaka to emulate a player of Pirlo’s quality, it appears that the North London side are well on their way to having the kind of summer that will enable them to make an even stronger title challenge next year.
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