Arsenal have signed Denis Suarez on loan from FC Barcelona.
The Gunners had been wanting to sign the central midfielder since the start of 2019 but it took almost a month to get the deal through.
Initially, it was being reported that the transfer had collapsed since the Catalans were interested selling Denis Suarez off permanently but Arsenal were only interested in a loan deal.
The came the reports that Barcelona were ready for the loan deal but they wanted to add an obligation to buy in the contract.
Now the deal has been finally settled on a loan spell until the end of the season with an option to buy during the summer transfer window.
But the arrival of the central midfielder could finally mean that Granit Xhaka’s days at the club are numbered, according to Martin Keown.
‘The arrival of Denis Suarez at Arsenal puts pressure on Granit Xhaka,’ said Keown.
‘Unai Emery is not going to drop Lucas Torreira, and Matteo Guendouzi has shown promise.
‘I am surprised Emery did not prioritise signing a defender but this move clearly suggests that he wants to improve Arsenal’s ability to control games in midfield.’
Both Guendouzi and Lucas Torreira have shown great potential since the start of the season but Granit Xhaka has never been a consistent performer.
Granit Xhaka is that kind of player who is always one tackle away from receiving a yellow card and the midfielder is one of the easiest to get past when Arsenal are treading back.
Granit Xhaka will most certainly have to pull up his socks if he wants to keep his place in the starting XI or else the manager will not think twice before selling him off during the summer.
Read: Here’s how many players Arsenal boss Unai Emery actually wanted to sign in January.
Read: Arsenal receive a huge injury boost before they take on Manchester City in the EPL.
Read: 4-3-1-2 Arsenal’s predicted line-up vs Man City.
