At least we tried to sign players though which was a big improvement from the summer of 2015. Our issue is that most guys who are brought in get at least three full seasons to do their damage, regardless of how they actually perform. There has to be a quicker rotation of players who are found wanting when they occupy key positions in the team.
People tear into Mustafi in this thread, and not without reason, but to me Xhaka is the player who more than anyone else symbolises the last three years of Arsenal. He has played more games than any other player and he has made the most passes in Premier League during that time too. He's the spider that sits in the middle of the web of mediocrity; the constant in a team that can't work the ball forward quickly enough and can't handle defensive transitions. The shadow architect of a two-year run in Europa League that looks like it will be extended by another year.
He has made some improvements, both last season and this one, but he's still so far away from being an acceptable player for a club with supposed aspirations of belonging at the top. Our football does look even worse whenever he's missing from midfield, but that's not exactly a great argument to keep him. A complete lack of other options does not make him more credible. It just makes him more urgent to replace with someone who's actually good. He's the level cap in midfield.
