Arsenal finally broke the bank with double signings of Shkodran Mustafi and Lucas Perez. With both the players coming in from La Liga , Arsene Wenger may finally have a balance in the squad which he missed last season and a much needed partner for the unpredictable Olivier Giroud. Mustafi cost Arsenal 35 Million pounds but may be worth the money if he fits in the team and performs the way he has for Valencia for the past 2 years. Here are 5 interesting facts about Shkodran Mustafi !
5) World Cup Winner
Mustafi was in Joachim Loew’s 23 man squad in Brazil which lifted the World Cup beating Lionel Messi’s Argentina , thanks to Mario Gotze’s extra time goal.
However, he didn’t get any minutes in Brazil and was an unused sub in all the games, this did not stop him from collecting that cherished world cup winners medal.
He made his full German debut for Germany in october 2014 and gives a tough competition to Mats Hummels and Jerome Boateng for their position in the German Back four. (interesting facts about Shkodran Mustafi)
4) Return to England
This will be Mustafi’s second spell in England having come through Everton’s academy in 2009.
He only made one substitute appearance during his time under David Moyes before moving to Sampdoria.
He is accustomed with the culture , the language and the weather , so may not take much time to settle into life at Arsenal. (interesting facts about Shkodran Mustafi)
3) Never played in the Bundesliga
Mustafi was the only player in Joachim Loew’s winning squad who had ever played in the Bundesliga.
He began his career with Everton before moving to sampdoria where he impressed everyone with his performances.
Valencia beat several Bundesliga outlets for his signature in 2014. He is still 24 years old, maybe one day will feature in his country’s top division.
2) Could have played for Albania
He was born in an Albanian family and was eligible to play for either Albania or Germany.
He chose to represent Germany and has played at every level for the die Mannschaft , right from U16 to the senior team.
He will share his Albanian roots with new Arsenal teammate Granit Xhaka. (interesting facts about Shkodran Mustafi)
1) Solid at the back
Mustafi does not have the reputation of a ball playing centre back such as John Stones or Mats Hummels but certainly gets the job done.
Arsenal Fans will love him in their side as he is a no-nonsense defender with the basic goal to stop the attackers.
He is rock solid at the back and has earned a reputation of being one of the toughest defenders in La Liga and looks tailor-made for the Premier league. (interesting facts about Shkodran Mustafi)
