Martin Keown thinks 28-year-old Arsenal player has no way back under Arteta

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Arsenal legend Martin Keown has claimed in his column on The Daily Mail that he would be surprised if Granit Xhaka has a future under Mikel Arteta after what happened on Sunday.

The Swiss international hasn’t been in his best form this season, but things went from bad to worse against Burnley last weekend. Xhaka lost his head after a tackle in the second half of the game and decided to grab his opponent’s neck.

That is unacceptable in this day and age, and he was rightly shown a red card. Xhaka’s moment of madness cost Arsenal the game and that has increased the pressure on Arteta’s shoulders.

The former Monchengladbach midfielder will miss the next three games due to suspension. Keown, however, believes that he has no way back under Arteta even after he serves his ban.

He said: “Arsenal are still searching for the right balance in centre midfield, unlike Spurs, who have the perfect duo in Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Moussa Sissoko, prepared to go to war for their manager.”

“Which brings me to Granit Xhaka. Of course, he will be under fire after Sunday’s sending-off against Burnley, and rightly so. He just does not get around the pitch quickly enough. He has made some huge mistakes — so many in fact you would be surprised if there is a way back under Arteta.”

Should Xhaka be sold in January?

Xhaka was one of the first names on the team sheet when Arteta first took over. He played incredibly well under the Spaniard last season, but the quality of his performances have dropped this term.

Thomas Partey and Mohamed Elneny are above the Swiss international in Arteta’s pecking order. Dani Ceballos offers much more than Xhaka as well, while Joe Willock and Ainsley Maitland-Niles have been impressing every time they play in the middle of the park.

Xhaka, 28, is in the prime of his career and has over 30 months left on his contract. He is worth good money despite his poor form, and if Arsenal get a chance to offload him next month, they shouldn’t think twice.