It has been just a couple of days since the Gunners confirmed the signing of Denis Suarez on loan from Barcelona.
Once the deal was announced, it was time for a lot of people to have reactions of varying degrees. Fans took to social media to express their opinions and some former Arsenal players were asked for their opinion as well.
Former Gunners defender Martin Keown had a rather interesting take on the whole deal as he warned Granit Xhaka that his role could be in jeopardy. This is what he is quoted as saying as per the Metro.
“The arrival of Denis Suarez at Arsenal puts pressure on Granit Xhaka, said Keown. Unai Emery is not going to drop Lucas Torreira, and Matteo Guendouzi has showed promise.”
While there is some element of truth to what the former player has said, it does not seem like Xhaka will be dropped for the incoming Suarez anytime soon.
Xhaka has established himself as a key member of this team and his influence on the team is most visible when he is not playing. The team struggles to string passes together as Xhaka is the one who helps set the tempo of the game.
As far as Suarez is concerned, manager Unai Emery seems to have something different in mind for where he will be playing. Speaking to Arsenal Player before the game, this is what he had to say about the new arrival:
“He[Denis] can play right, play left, inside like a 10 player, and I am going to use him in all the positions in the attacking third.”
This means that what Keown said is not not really going to happen any time soon. Suarez is a player who has the experience of playing on the wings and that will help him fit into what Emery has planned for him.
Xhaka will certainly be in the starting lineup against Manchester City on Sunday and given the importance of the game, the Gunners will have to field the strongest team that they can to get a positive result.
