Stone Me, Granit Signs, Plus Win An Art of Football Tee
May 25th, 2016 by 'holic
Well, out of the blue Arsenal today announced the signing of Granit Xhaka from Borussia Monchengladbach. Who could have seen that coming? The undisclosed fee has been rumoured to be an initial £25m possibly rising to £30m depending on how successful his stay at the Gunners is. The Arsenal social media team showed good humour as they unveiled the new man, quipping “Here’s your second look at our first summer signing.” They were quick to distribute the video below.
The first interview with Arsenal Media was also aired and a selection of the questions and answers follow.
Granit, welcome to Arsenal. How does it feel to be an Arsenal player?
“I am very happy to be here. It’s a dream come true and I’m happy.”
You’ve said before that England is your dream and you have not hidden that fact. Why is it so important for you to play here?
“I remember I was young and the first game I watched was in the Premier League. It’s a big dream for me and now that I’m here I am very, very happy.”
What do you like most about Arsenal?
“I like so much. I like the style of football in the Premier League. It’s aggressive and I like the way Arsenal play football. It’s not like other countries but it’s very nice here.”
You say it’s aggressive, and every game in the Premier League is a fight…
“Yes, it’s a fight. I like that but Arsenal can also play football and that’s very good.”
Arsenal finished second last season. Do you feel as though they’re on the cusp of great things?
“Of course. I’ve looked at Arsenal before, on every weekend, and I know they are a big club. This year they finished second and that was a very good season.”
So a big welcome to Granit from all of us. Arsenal have moved quickly to get one very desirable target. Now another two or three to raise the quality of the squad even further please.
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60 Responses to “Stone Me, Granit Signs, Plus Win An Art of Football Tee”
Xhaka Khan in da house
Xhaka super. Konte will be a great also. Im not sure about Morata. We need a player like SUAREZ or LEVANDOVSKY. Arsenal have to buy another goalkeeper because Ospina was mediocre and the Czech prevent mistakes. I would recommend TIM KRUL from Newcastle. We need a left back like Mascherano. Must be bought as a central stopper Mats HUMMELS!!!
Nice competition Guvna. I will defer to those who feel the 50 years of hurt. 🙂
Cheers H.
Rock solid title.
Bloody hell, whatever next! Morata? We need a proven top-quality striker, although I’m not sure whether Morata is it; but bringing in someone while Welbeck is out, who can actually put away the chances, has to be the top priority. A top rate centre back must also be on the agenda, and I would also include a first-rate full-back. A young defender who is going to be top, top, class is Ben Chillwell, but from what I read, we are leaving the coast clear for Liverpool on that one.
I smiled at the thought of my Caledonian cousins seeing that comp, bath 🙂
I’m sure if you entered and won they would let you select an Arsenal tee 😉
GSD ?
Biscuitbum, Hector and Nacho are the best full-backs in the Premier League for me.
If you look at the Squawka ratings for defenders last season, Hector and Nacho are the only non-centre halves to make the top 10.
No 1 overall is Kos.
I have contacted Swiss and German friends and they like Xhaka. I believe he is a similar player to Elneny. Wonder what this means for Ramsey particularly? We don’t need that many midfielders even with Outr injuries. I trust Arsene on transfers particularly big ones
Every time I watch an Arsenal game now I’m going to be reminded of that shitty Star Trek TNG episode with Paul Winfield in it.
(Geeks will know)
Apparently,even though our new signing was the younger sibling in his family,he was always the one entrusted with the House key when the kids went to school.
So he was used to responsibility from an early age.
To captain Munching Glad Bags at his age,says a lot about his temperament.
We have missed a leader,a driving force if you like,aka Frankie Mac,Tony Adams and Paddy.
So if he brings that to the table it can only make us stronger.
My concern still stands though,in respect of our getting a free pass to buy him.
I just cannot understand no other top club trying to buy him.
Unless of course we had tapped him up last season,and had a pre nup with his Agent,which precluded any other offers.
But we wouldn’t do that would we. ?
I guess that having signed Granit that we will now be after John Stones. Both would look to cement their places in the spine of the side.
Might be worth seeing if Bob Bolder is still interested in playing?
Just saying….
Oh Steve, And to think you were one of the rocks on which this bar was built…
Not the finest keepy-uppy I’ve ever seen, I guess it was his way with a zip that impressed AW, very clean action.
“We have missed a leader,a driving force if you like,aka Frankie Mac,Tony Adams and Paddy.”
With all due respect, such players aren’t exactly a dime a dozen. So effective, so reliable, and so rare.
And I don’t buy this idea that since no other clubs were looking at this player that he must be shyte. Who cares … let other clubs drool over john stones and the latest, not-so-greatest flash in the pan. At this point AW gets the benefit of the doubt, surely.
Not a dime a dozen, Homer, but none of the 3 Clive mentioned cost a £zillion either. In fact they cost us a grand total of £4.3m the three.
Mike Brearley (in cricket) aside it’s hard to think of a captain who didn’t deserve his place in the side on pure ability, and putting a £ value on that additional intangible quality that makes a good captain is rarely, if ever, quantified or paid extra for when buying a player. You get it virtually free, IF you get it at all.
Xhaka quoted as saying he thinks he can bring leadership and organization to Arsenal.
Shouldn’t we have signed him as manager then?
With AW it’s a question of whether you believe buying no one (when we really need someone) because he values those players available at less than the asking price, is the right way to go. In recent years we have needed a whole spine for the side: keeper, CD, DMF and striker, but for whatever reason he’s been slow to fill these key positions – until, finally, signing Gabriel and Cech and, later, Elneny and now Xhaka. I’ve yet to be convinced Gabriel is the answer to the CD and still no sign of that elusive striker.
Just wish he’d pull the finger out and compete more often for proven quality. I’m betting £50m would have bought Suarez back when, but £40+1m was AW’s limited view of what he was worth apparently. Way too cautious for mine.
Chris@20: The Xhaka deal poses a challenge to the argument that AW won’t overpay for players. The Kosovon-Swiss’s market value before we bought him was estimated at £19m (about the same as JW, btw), far short of the £33m-plus we paid. Similarly with Elneny, who was valued at £3m before we bought him him for more than £9m. So either AW has spotted huge value that others have missed or he is more ready to pay over the odds to secure his targets.
Clive@12: Word is that Xhaxa turned down Klopp’s Liverpool though I don’t know if that counts as a top club…
Separately, Xhaka and Elneny give us a similarly style of midfield pairing as Patrick and Petit. Substance yet to be proved, of course, but it might suggest a reversion in playing formation next season to more glorious days.
Steve has lost his marbles! Hopefully he can cement our midfield.
I will get my coat?
Clive: Unless of course we had tapped him up last season,and had a pre nup with his Agent,which precluded any other offers.
Xhaka said the other day that Arsene first spoke to him a year ago so this deal has probably been more or less done for quite some time.
Is Lukaku a possibility next? That might work.
Homer,
No one has suggested Xhaka is shyte, is that a real word,?
But anyway i get your drift,
Ned,
Word seems to be we have paid 25 shed loads for him,with top ups if he goes on to bigger and better things.
You could be right on the Liverpool story, Klopp would know his worth with his Bundesliga knowledge.
Lars,
Apparently we have been following his progress for quite a while,so your story seems to fit.
More importantly,i’m sure we all want him to succeed at the Club.
Is buying him,Arsene’s tacit admission that his previous policy of everyone being a Captain on the pitch has been a failure,?
Every bugger knows you have to win the midfield battle before you can win the war,and given our propensity in recent years to be bullied out of it on many occasions because of our high proportion of smaller technical operators in that area,hopefully Xhaka can bring that missing aggression into that midfield area.
We used to have some real hard nuts across the pitch back in the day,something that has been missing for a long time.
Now if we can just get a tough,mad take no prisoners central defender to complement Xhaka,the backend of the team will be complete.
Fucking hell, TTG, the puns are being laid on with a trowel this morning.
I’ve heard that Granit’s favourite album is …
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/c4/You_Are_The_Quarry.jpg
sounds like young Granulated Sugar’s no softie
here’s to him beeting lumps outta Harry Cane
? sorry
*joins m’lud and rest of us Trev-wannabes out in the cold*
he’s got two chocolate legs
he’s ambidextrose
.
*shuts face*
?
If Ibrahimovic goes to Man Utd, the amount of cunt at one club will be too much and the world will shift out of its orbit and crash into the sun.
Or possibly not.
Clive@25: we’ve got a ‘tough, mad take no prisoners central defender’ in Garbriel. The question is whether he will make the grade as a world-class CB.
Rambo our new #8!!
Welcome the special cunt back, pardon my language but it got a whole new level, the hatred towards united.
Cb finally being prioritized and if it is manolas or the napoli guy, we have a winner. Manolas with woj being the sweetener to Roma should work right.
My worry about the upcoming season is the fatigue. They will play the euros, not much of a pre season and boom the season starts. The ones not going should be well rested but most of our first team have gone to play. Now can all of them come out after the first round??? not a hope.
Kos being touted to be the next captain. Well interesting because i believe other choices would be cech and ramsey. Kos is not a communicator but has been our best defender for a few seasons now.
Finally, ucl finals saturday and i wonder when we will play in one again. till then let it be a great game and may the better team win, na win it for zizzou real.
Michi Batshuayi. Please!
a little homage to our new rock, upon which the vessels of all other teams shall founder:
https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2016/may/26/granit-xhaka-arsenal-leader-borussia-monchengladbach
and glad you’re taking a break, ‘holic. missing your presence at the bar, though.
hope everyone’s feeling solid about this signing. it’s the schist.
You taking the schist, scg?
massifly, ned.
Oh well that’s Carlo off the shortlist as Arsene’s successor. :0/
Pity.
http://www.sportsmole.co.uk/football/man-utd/news/ancelotti-slams-man-utd-arsenal-owners_273547.html
you never know, bath. he could sell out. /eyeroll
Headline: Trump and Kroenke to hit giant biker rally on Memorial Day.
Note: In the interest of greater accuracy it should be noted that two words should actually not be present in the previous sentence.
Hint: For those of you who are really interested the two words will be revealed in the next drink.
and Kroenke.
😀
Ned
Not sure about Gabriel,
Thought he did well first half of the season when he did play,but something changed after Christmas and he seemed to lose his confidence.
Became very hesitant,lost his bearings a few times,made a few mistakes and wasn’t the same player.
Not sure why.
But regardless,with Mert on the downhill run,we do need another boots and braces Bould/Keown style central defender.
You know the type,not technically savvy,but when they tackled you it was like being hit by a brick wall.
Clive,
I really think that Gabriel never got a proper run of games. I think he’s a superb acquisition and just needs a little time. I thought he was destroyed by Carroll at Upton Park – but usually you won’t meet aerially dominant players like that in the PL and certainly not in Europe and it took a little from his confidence. I was very interested to read how Keown rates him so highly largely because I think Keown is very perceptive. Do we need another CH? Yes, largely because Chambers needs game time, isn’t ready yet and will probably go out on loan. But I feel really comfortable that Gabby and Kos will be here for the foreseeable future.
An open question for the bar: Could Daniel Sturridge be an option at 9..?
joe, agree on carroll, and that we need another ch. i’d like to see someone as mobile as koz and gabby, with a bit more height (and a tough nut, to boot, as long as i’m wishing).
sturridge would fit right in. he’d play blinders for three games, then be hurt for 9 months.
I take your point Joe
I guess we will only find out if Arsene does splash out on a top central defender in the summer, to see who lines up in the season opener on Aug 13th.
As to Sturridge, bit like GSD’s suggestion re Lukaku,thanks but no thanks.
Lukaku a long ball lumper,and Sturridge not strong enough mentally,very fragile and unable or unwilling to play through the pain barrier.
Klopp worked him out very quickly.
Having said that,he did have that wonderful season with Suarez,so maybe he does perform better with a sidekick to play off,rather than having to carry the attack himself.
He can score goals,no doubt about it,and maybe he just needs a fresh start somewhere else,just not sure it is at the Ems.
Scruz:
I take the point about having a tall CH, but if you look at CH’s in Europe, they’re becoming smaller and the emphasis is on mobility.
Clive,
We agree on both Lukaku and Sturridge. However, the reality is that there is such a short supply of top class strikers, that we either pay way-over-the-odds, or else we compromise for lessor players who are perceived to be damaged like Sturridge who, when fit, is a very good player and provides us with a real alternative option to Giroud. The real faux pas in recent years was Higuain. We should have went the extra mile for him. I know others will think the same about Suarez, but if Geoff is to be believed, we put £49m on the table for him and Liverpool still rejected the transfer to save face from having to sell to AFC. I don’t believe Morata is an option, more so a decoy. I wouldn’t be surprised if we opted for someone like Sturridge at the right price, plus maybe someone entirely left of field who is unheard of to hedge our bets. There’s less risk in that strategy than paying stupendous money for someone like Ibra, or Morata, or Icardi, all of whom are unproven in the PL.
we really missed the boat by not doing enough to sign Higuaín. Where can you get that so called world class striker now? how much? remember the saying ” penny wise pound foolish”. Sorry to say but sometimes Wenger gets too smart for his own good. Lukaku doesn’t even come close to Higuaín, and I can imagine how much it will cost for anyone to sign him now.
Joe,
Cannot disagree with your post,
On the striker front,like Xhaka,i am sure Arsene and his Scouts have been watching certain players for a while,and this late in the proceedings i would like to think they have made their minds up who they want to lead our line.
I also as with Xhaka,have no doubt they have sounded out the target and their advisors.
Whether it is a big name or a younger up and comer,either of whom will fit in seamlessly,and don’t bring a big ego that won’t fit through the dressing room door,i guess we will find out in the next few weeks.
I had never heard of Xhaka before he was mentioned as a possible signing,let’s hope that’s not the case with our new striker.
Finished my box of Coco Pops and found a free Euro 2016 thing in a bag sitting at the bottom of the box, which is apparently called a Funball.
An appropriate name, seeing as it is somewhat testicle shaped and sized.
You’d think, being in a bag, they’d have given them away as a pair.
Anyway, mine is representing Italy so if you’ve had a bet on them to win the tournament, you might as well chuck the bet away now or cash it in.
Higuain had a top 2015-16 season, but I don’t recall him being that stand-out a striker when we might have gone harder for him. Nor am I sure that being a hit in Italy is that much of a recommendation these days.
But please not Sturridge. Have we not learned anything from Welbeck? I’d rather have Reus and let the goals be spread between him, Alexis and OG with Rambo and Santi chipping in. At least that way oppositions have more to worry about than a main striker, and won’t know where the threat is coming from on any given day.
+1 chris on gone in the fetlockidge
– 1 cynic on lack of cornflakidge
? howdy fellas
cba arrives in fine style.
+1 in the pint servage…
*passes scruz a homemade long short*
sip it it easy , mind
it bites
?
sips it easy…mmm, indeed, a fine vintage a la Suarez…
We are a small village and seem to have misplaced our adopted idiot – his name is Pygmalion and he’s into statues. He was last seen worshipping outside the Emirates. Has anybody seen him?
Dear small village, I have sent said idiot back to you. Good luck. ?
I got manglewurzels in me garden
I got manglewurzels in me shed
I got manglewurzels in me bathroom
And a mangelwurzel for me head
Who am I?
It’s not a riddle, I’ve forgot.
Hang on, I got me name written inside me collar….. Bri Nylon.
Just call me Bri
57 varieties
?
armful o beer on t’bar for ye
Chris- He did okay while playing for Real Madrid, even though he was not their main striker. He has been pretty decent in all of the past three seasons in Italy. Better option for me than Sturridge that’s for sure. I will take Reus in a heart beat, but I don’t think we can afford him if he is to leave Dortmund. We need another striker that’s for sure, who? well, only Wenger knows.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>