AÂ new Premier League season means a raft of new, expensive signings and potential new additions to your Fantasy Football team.
Sometimes you strike gold by putting a Premier League newcomer straight into your team, like Dimitri Payet and Andre Ayew last season. But it may be safe to say already that Granit Xhaka won’t be as good, in Fantasy Football terms, as the aforementioned West Ham duo.
Arsenal spent a reported £30m on the midfielder from Borussia Mönchengladbach, and he arrives in London with a reputation as a tough-tackling, but silky midfielder, with an eye for a pass.
Xhaka was snapped up by 7.5% of Fantasy Football players, the second most of any Arsenal midfielder.
However, his cameo appearance in Arsenal’s 4-3 loss to Liverpool in their opening game of the season shows that if you’re one of those with him in your team, now would be a good time to ditch him.
The fact that Xhaka didn’t start the game wasn’t even the biggest mark against keeping him in your team – because Arsenal’s injury record, and the player’s transfer fee, means he’s likely to see regular action soon enough.
It was what Xhaka did when he was on the field that should have you looking to sell him.
The 23-year-old made more fouls (4) in his 24 minutes on the field, than any other Premier League player this weekend. Needless to say, he picked up a yellow card.
No player committed more fouls in the Premier League this weekend than Granit Xhaka (4). He played 24 minutes. pic.twitter.com/xp7MVbb277
— Squawka (@Squawka) August 14, 2016
The Swiss midfielder’s disciplinary record in the Bundesliga was less than exemplary, (he was sent-off six times in total in the division). And it looks as though he will be picking up bookings a lot more frequently than he’ll be scoring or setting up goals in the Premier League.
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