by thebigbangtheo » Tue Jul 31, 2018 10:43 am
He first came to my attention prior to the season before last, when talk about our interest in Xhaka was first mentioned and as such had me watching bundesliga highlights with more attention.
It was not so much that he struck me as an outstanding talent that illuminated the pitch, but rather it was the simplistic, unspectacular nature of his game coupled with a great work ethic and genuine inclination to defend that caught my eye. Put simply, he reminded me of Gilberto Silva.
However, bearing in mind that the desperation to see a proper defensive midfielder injected into the team had me previously coveting the likes of Geoffrey Kondogbia, I may have similarly overlooked some of his flaws and weaknesses.