New Arsenal recruit Granit Xhaka is delighted that he will be able to play alongside Mohamed Elneny, someone he has heard all about due to their shared time at Swiss giants Basel.

Xhaka, who joined the Gunners earlier in the week, progressed through the youth ranks of the Swiss club before moving to Germany in 2012.




Elneny is the only player in the current Arsenal squad who has experience of playing for Basel, the same club at where Xhaka himself flourished.

Though the 23-year-old did not have the opportunity to share the dressing room with the midfielder, who joined Basel in 2013, a year after Xhaka had left, he insists that he has heard a lot about the Egyptian from his brother who has played with him.
 


Speaking about the increasing trend of Swiss players moving to England to play for the English clubs, the former Borussia Mönchengladbach player said that it is a good sign for the country and shows the quality they have on offer in Switzerland.  

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“I know him by name, but when I went to Monchengladbach he came to Basel”, Xhaka told his club's official website. 

"My brother played with him and I had heard of him before I came here.

"In Switzerland we produce very good young players and many of these players have come to England.

"That’s very good.”

Xhaka will be officially joining Arsenal on 1st July when the transfer window opens.