Former Arsenal captain Granit Xhaka has opened up on leaving the London club last summer. The midfielder joined Bayer Leverkusen on a permanent deal last July.
The Swiss international brought an end to his seven year stay in England. Xhaka made over 297 appearances for Arsenal scoring 23 goals. The 31-year old won two FA Cups and two Community Shields with the gunners.
Xhaka’s time seemed to be coming to an end when Mikel Arteta was named head coach in 2019. Xhaka was even booed by the Emirates crowd. He managed to play 36 Premier League games in his final season at the club.
Arteta even convinced Xhaka to stay when the midfielder was looking for a way out of the club in January 2020. Xhaka eventually agreed and continued his career in England. The Swiss international told this to The Athletic in an interview:
“Mikel told me he wanted me to stay. But I wasn’t sure. I remember speaking to my dad at the time. He told me, ‘Let’s go’. For the first time ever, he told me to run away. He said there was no future for me at Arsenal.’
“I could not imagine myself playing for Arsenal again. I said to him, ‘I just want to be somewhere where the fans don’t boo me’. But he was so convincing. For the first time in my life, I took a decision without talking to my family first. I got up and said, ‘OK, I’ll stay’. We embraced and, from that day on, I returned to training and it was like nothing ever happened.”
Despite their relationship, the two had to part ways; with Xhaka going to Germany and Arteta staying at Arsenal – where he recently signed a new contract until 2027.
What Granit Xhaka said about leaving Arsenal
The Bayer Leverkusen midfielder says leaving Arsenal was a fresh start after what he endured at the tail end of his career at the Emirates. Xhaka was speaking on an Amazon documentary (quotes via BILD) following Bayer Leverkusen’s successful season:
“It was pure relief for me. I said: ‘Yes! It’s not just me who feels that way, but the family too’,” Xhaka explained.
“I was lucky enough to be booed in 2019. As captain at Arsenal. In front of 60,000 fans. I say lucky because that made me brutally strong.
“I’m grateful that I got out of there. Because it was a black day for my family, my wife and my parents. I think it was even harder for them than it was for me.”
Xhaka has been hugely successful since leaving England. Bayer Leverkusen won the Bundesliga, going unbeaten, they also won the DFB-Pokal and recently won the DFL-Super Cup in August.