Arsenal currently find themselves involved in the race to win the Premier League title having spent the majority of the campaign at the top of the table.
With 19 league games played, the Gunners have won 16 of them, drawing twice and losing just one game.
One player in Mikel Arteta’s squad that has been a very prominent figure in the team this season is Granit Xhaka, who is one of the six outfield player that have started all of Arsenal’s league games.
Across his 19 appearances, the 30-year-old has scored three goals and provided five assists for his side.
At the end of this season, Xhaka will be entering the final year of his contract at the Emirates, which makes us feel that the north London club may end up being on the lookout for someone that could come in and be a suitable heir for the £120k-per-week Switzerland international.
One potential candidate that the Gunners have been linked with recently that we feel could fit this particular bill is Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Moises Caicedo. However, they have had a £60 million bid rejected for the midfielder.
At the age of 21, the Ecuadorian certainly has the time ahead of him to be a long-term figure for Arsenal.
However, his efforts on the pitch this season have shown how much of a capable midfielder he is and why he’d be a suitable heir for Xhaka.
Is Granit Xhaka having his best ever season at Arsenal?
Yes
No
For example, with an almost identical number of minutes between them, the pair have a very similar total of passes into the 18-yard box (23 vs 22) as well as a similar rate of shots on target per 90 minutes (0.22 vs 0.28).
Then from a defensive point of view, the two players have the same number of blocks (18) to their names, highlighting how useful they are off the ball as well as on it.
Hailed as a “terrific” player by South American football expert Tim Vickery, Caicedo would certainly add some extra strength, depth and quality to Arteta’s ranks if they are able to land a deal for him.
His potential arrival would also surely give the Gunners an ideal long-term heir for Xhaka if he were to end up leaving the club once his current contract expires.