Xhaka has taken well to life at the Emirates Stadium since his £35 million summer move form Germany.
Former Arsenal midfielder Ray Parlour has told the London Evening Standard of his admiration for summer signing Granit Xhaka, and suggested that his tendency to shoot well from outside the box is perhaps his best trait.
The Gunners paid £35 million to bring Xhaka to the Emirates Stadium from Borussia Moenchengladbach during the transfer window, and the Switzerland star appears to have settled in well.
The 24-year-old has made seven appearances in all competitions for the North London club so far this season, and has shown all sides of his game.
What has stood out most in recent weeks, however, is his prowess at finding the net from distance, with the tough-tackling midfielder smashing home two superb long-range strikes in the space of four days earlier this month against Hull City and Nottingham Forest.
Parlour, another midfielder who had a penchant for the spectacular, as perfectly exemplified by his FA Cup final strike 14 years ago, believes that Xhaka has been a top addition to Arsene Wenger’s squad and insisted he is pleased to see his side recruit a player who likes to shoot from range.
The ex-pro told the Standard: “I think he’s a very good addition to the squad.
“I really like his shooting from outside the box. I don’t think we’ve had enough players trying to do that, they always seem to want to walk it into the goal.
“He has got that little bit of steel about him. He puts his foot in but he’s got to be wary, we’ve seen him sent off a few times for club and country. I really like what he has done so far though and I’m certain he’ll be a top midfielder.”
As alluded to by Parlour, whilst the long-range shooting is a big plus point in Xhaka’s game, a very different side of his play is his disciplinary struggles.
His combative nature means that yellow cards are to be expected, but he was sent off three times in the Bundesliga last season and has already been shown red this season, in Switzerland’s World Cup qualifying opener against European champions Portugal.
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