Arsene Wenger moved quickly to get his first bit of transfer business done this summer.
Signed from Borussia Mönchengladbach, Granit Xhaka was confirmed as an Arsenal player weeks before Euro 2016 had even started.
Xhaka was an ever-present in the Swiss midfield over in France and, despite missing a crucial penalty in the shoot-out against Poland, Arsenal fans liked what they saw.
Having earned a reputation in the Bundesliga as a tough-tackling midfielder, the following stat shows that he’s far from just a physical presence in midfield. When it comes to keeping possession, Xhaka has the second best pass completion rate in the entire tournament.
Having amassed 369 completed passes, he’s ahead of Germany and Bayern Munich defender Jerome Boateng, who’s in third with 355 passes. He might well be a good way behind another German – Real Madrid’s Toni Kroos – but it’s worth noting that because of Switzerland’s last 16 exit, Xhaka has played a game fewer.
3 – Players with the most successful passes so far at #Euro2016
Kroos (#GER) – 509
G.Xhaka (#SUI) – 369
Boateng (#GER) – 355Strings.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) July 4, 2016
Arsenal added another signing to their ranks earlier in the week, completing a deal for Japanese international Takumo Asano from Sanfrecce Hiroshima. Arsene Wenger has described the 21-year-old as “one for the future”.
Arsenal kick off their Premier League campaign at home to Liverpool on August 13, where fans will hope to see Xhaka in his first competitive outing for the club.
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