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Former FA Cup-winning Arsenal striker Kevin Campbell believes the Gunners need to sell Granit Xhaka this summer.
Mikel Arteta's side are reportedly close to finalizing a transfer to bring in Fabio Vieira from FC Porto (as per Sky Sports) to bolster their midfield options. They have also been linked with Leicester City's Youri Tielemans, with The Guardian reporting that the Gunners are working on a deal.
The club could look to finalize some outgoings as well to balance their books. Xhaka has been one of the players linked with an exit, with the Mirror reporting that Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen are interested in signing him.
The 29-year-old still has two years left on his current deal with Arsenal. However, Campbell believes his former side should be looking to offload Xhaka this summer. He told Football Insider:
“I think we will see a parting of the ways soon.”
Campbell praised the Swiss international for enjoying a good 2021-22 campaign for the Gunners. However, he believes that the club's "reliance" on Xhaka needs to end, opining:
“Look, Xhaka had a very good season last season. But at the end of the day, Arsenal didn’t get it done. The midfield needs to be revamped. There needs to be more speed and goals injected into that midfield. The reliance on Granit Xhaka that Arsenal had has to go.”
The 52-year-old concluded:
“There has to be enough midfielders there who can do a job. This is probably the last time we could get money for Xhaka realistically. He is an international player, a good player but the time has come. If an opportunity comes along I think they should move him on and get younger legs in there.”
Granit Xhaka has divided opinion at Arsenal
Xhaka signed for the north London club back in the summer of 2016 from Borussia Monchengladbach. While he added some steel to their midfield and produced the odd long-range stunner, fans of the club have often been divided in their opinions about him.
Xhaka's disciplinary issues on the field have played a major role in shaping supporters' perceptions of him. He has picked up 68 yellow cards and four red cards in 249 matches across competitions for the Premier League giants.
The spotlight often reflects more on those numbers than his tallies of 14 goals and 22 assists. His falling out with a section of Gunners fans during a match in 2019, which saw him throw the captain's armband on the turf, didn't help his case either.
Should Xhaka leave this summer, he'll end his career at the Emirates with two FA Cups and two FA Community Shields to his name.
