Tony Cascarino has showered praise on Arsenal star Granit Xhaka and even joked that the midfielder could get a statue outside the Emirates Stadium one day.
The Swiss international, who joined the Gunners as a 23-year-old back in 2016 for £35 million (BBC), has gone through a lot during his time in England. From being enemy number one to fans singing his name every week, he has done the impossible, and Cascarino has been really impressed.
Tony Cascarino jokes Granit Xhaka could get a statue outside Arsenal’s Emirates stadium
After Xhaka had his outburst against Crystal Palace at the Emirates three years ago, it really did seem like there was no way back for him. He had one foot out of the door, but Mikel Arteta came in and changed everything.
Xhaka is now a completely different player. He has been exceptional since the start of this season and Arsenal fans absolutely adore him.
Cascarino, who, like many, felt that Xhaka’s career was over at Arsenal, has been very impressed by his turnaround, and he heaped praise on the Arsenal midfielder.
The pundit said on talkSPORT: “He’s going to get a statue in a minute (laughs).
“He’s been brilliant.
“Out of all the achievements you can do as a footballer, he took so much stick. His career was finished and yet he’s turned it around to such a level. He’s enjoying it, you can see he’s enjoying it.”
Our View:
Xhaka’s turnaround really is remarkable.
It takes extraordinary character and mentality to go from where he was three years ago to where he is today. Very few players in the world can achieve that, and he deserves immense praise.
Arsenal are currently on top of the Premier League table. The likes of Gabriel Jesus, Bukayo Saka and William Saliba have caught everyone’s eye, but Xhaka’s performance in his new role has made a huge difference as well.
It will be interesting to see how far Arsenal can go this season. If Xhaka can keep up his form, they will continue to cause teams all sorts of problems.