Arsenal sign Borussia Monchengladbach’s Granit Xhaka – Twitter reacts

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Today Arsenal have announced the signing of Borussia Monchengladbach’s highly-rated midfielder Granit Xhaka, much to the delight of the club’s fans. The Switzerland international joins Arsenal on a long-term deal, for an undisclosed fee (according to BBC Sport).

The deal had been agreed, medical passed and the publicity photos ready for a few days now, but the Gunners had rushed the process through at the weekend to allow the midfielder to join up with his nation’s Euro 2016 squad, meaning the official announcement had been delayed until now.

Xhaka brings with him a reputation for being a battler in the centre of the park, as well as being an extremely confident player in possession of the ball. In essence, the Swiss midfielder is not only perfectly suited to the style of play exhibited at the Emirates Stadium, he is also the ideal solution to the club’s current weaknesses.

Impressivley, only Xabi Alonso (90.1) averaged more passes per game than Xhaka (82.7) in the Bundesliga this season, while the the 23-year-old has played more accurate passes (5511) than other player in the last three seasons in Germany’s top tier. For a team who boast the highest possession percentage in the Premier League last term, he shouldn’t have an issue adjusting.

In 28 Bundesliga appearances this term, he averaged 2.4 tackles and 2.7 interceptions per game for Gladbach – the most of any of his team-mates. The Gunners faithful have complained of a lack of bite in midfield for some time now, but Xhaka’s arrival should finally provide the answer to this problem. He is not short of fight in the centre of park.

The Swiss international will be Arsenal’s third biggest signing after Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez. This is a huge sign of intent from manager Arsene Wenger, who will no doubt be eager to quickly lift the mood at the Emirates following another season without a top flight trophy.

Here is how Twitter reacted to the club’s first summer signing:

Almost all Arsenal fans were delighted…

https://twitter.com/Mesutenthusiast/status/735546147964485632

https://twitter.com/TikaTakaWilsh/status/735546134282817536

https://twitter.com/Evertxn/status/733996523818733569

Others were quick to point out the strength in depth the Gunners now possess…

https://twitter.com/irenahabsi/status/735553840662056960

https://twitter.com/BigWezza/status/735553008449245184

Some continue to doubt Arsene Wenger’s leadership…

https://twitter.com/SerialWUM/status/735501750774444033

Others don’t…

There were a few very punny jokes…

https://twitter.com/jamieUTBfurness/status/735552104341884933

One thing is for sure, the club’s fans are still expecting plenty more activity this summer…

https://twitter.com/Millerafc/status/735552194628456448

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