‘It’s a shame’: Ian Wright’s message to Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka
Ian Wright has his say on Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka's fine performances for Switzerland at Euro 2020
Ian Wright has singled out Granit Xhaka for special praise following his excellent performances for Switzerland at Euro 2020 and says it will be “a shame” if the midfielder leaves Arsenal this summer.
Xhaka was named as the man of the match as he helped the Swiss claim a thrilling victory over world champions France in their last-16 clash to progress through to the quarter-finals.
The 28-year-old Switzerland captain has earned lots of praise for his performances at this summer’s tournament and the midfielder appears to have stepped his game up from his displays with Arsenal at club level.
Xhaka has struggled to find consistent form for Arsenal in the past and he has been heavily linked with a move away from The Emirates this summer and a switch to AS Roma.
Now, Arsenal legend Wright has singled out Xhaka for praise following his strong performances for his country and says it is a shame that the midfielder has not been able to produce those kinds of displays consistently for the Gunners.
Speaking to ITV Sport, Wright said of Xhaka’s display against France: “That is the best I’ve ever seen him play.
“I feel for him because he’s someone I’ve been very critical of in the past and when you see a performance like, do you blame him or the coaches for not getting those performances out of him in the past?
“I have never seen him used to that effect. There’s no way Arsenal should be selling a player that can play like that, at that level.
“So unfortunately for us it looks like he is going but I’m delighted for him because he’s answered a lot of critics. He was magnificent.”
Speaking on his own Ringer FC podcast, the Arsenal legend added: “Can I say something about Granit Xhaka? I was delighted to see how well he played, that’s the best I’ve ever seen him play.
“He was everywhere, he done everything and it looks like he’s probably going to Roma. He’s not been my favourite player but what we saw in that game was a complete midfielder who was used properly.
“Seeing him play that well and knowing what we need at Arsenal, it’s a shame we never got performances like that for whatever reason. It’s a shame.”
Xhaka scored one goal and made two assists in 31 Premier League games for Arsenal last season.
