2) Xhaka can get a bit reckless
While he is a solid player at the base of midfield, Xhaka is also not exactly a tidy player. Xhaka is not one of the fastest players on the pitch. Teams tend to try and expose that weakness by getting midfield runners to run at him.
He also has trouble keeping his temper in check at times. Although he finished the season with only 5 yellow cards in the Bundesliga, the worrying stat is the three red cards. Nobody else in the league had three (Wolfsburg’s Dante had two while the next highest was just one).
One notable incident that comes to mind is when he deliberately kicked Darmstadt midfielder Peter Niemeyer in an off-the-ball squabble. His reaction after the incident is also worrying as he looked to square up with Niemeyer as the referee gave him his marching orders and sent him off for an early shower. However, he did make up for it by donating €20,000 to a local charity.
At 23, he is hot-headed with teams looking to exploit that in games by provoking him. If Wenger signs him up, he must ensure he keeps a calm head in the hustle-bustle of the Premier League.
