No, the headline is not a joke I’m planning on leaving anytime soon, so you best embrace it and stop being so sensitive.

Granit Xhaka announced himself to the watching world on Saturday when he displayed his vast, precise and incisive range of passing, his ability to read the game, position himself for maximum effect and generally act like the midfielder we’ve been crying about needing for around 10 years.

Throughout the game, the Swiss midfielder made five ball recoveries, four successful tackles, three clearances, two interceptions, won two aerial duels, created a chance and had an 87% pass accuracy.

He’s disciplined, not charging forward and leaving the defence exposed as you can see from his heat map:

granit-xhaka-watford
via whoscored.com

And he doesn’t need to either. With the range he has in his locker, he can pick out players from deep.

Statszone

An absolute monster upgrade on Francis Coquelin, by the end of this season I have no doubt that we will be hailing his signing as inspired – and an absolute bargain in today’s insane market.

What I don’t understand is why no other clubs were moving for him.

Madness.