£21m ace now claims leaving Arsenal was a real ‘step forward’

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Granit Xhaka has now opened up about his decision to leave Arsenal.

Arsenal sold Granit Xhaka to Bayer Leverkusen for £21.4 million in the recent summer transfer window.

The departure brought an end to the Swiss midfielder’s seven year spell at the Emirates Stadium. Having arrived in north London in 2016, Xhaka went on to make 297 appearances for the club, across all competitions, racking up 23 goals and 29 assists.

Stats do not tell the full story of Xhaka’s rollercoaster Arsenal career, though. The 31-year-old spent time as both a hero and a villain. At one stage, he was stripped of the captaincy, after clashing with Arsenal fans. By the time he left, though, he was a firm fan-favourite, having been reinvented as a goalscoring attacking midfielder by Mikel Arteta.

Xhaka’s final season at Arsenal was certainly his best. Last time out, he scored nine goals and provided seven assists over the course of a campaign in which he worked his way back into the hearts of Arsenal supporters.

Granit Xhaka reflects on Arsenal exit

Ultimately, though, Xhaka opted to move on and has no regrets about his decision to leave Arsenal. As quoted by CBS Sports, he recently said, “a lot of people asked me why are you going to Germany, it’s a step back. For me it’s not a step back, it’s a step forward. I think the last four months have been very, very good for us as a team and for myself.”

“Everything was exactly what I wanted [here]. I’ll never forget the time I was at Arsenal, seven years, it was a long time with ups and downs, good and bad things. I had the feeling I needed a new challenge.”

Plenty of Arsenal fans will miss Xhaka, especially as his nominal replacement, Kai Havertz, has so far failed to replicate the 119-cap Switzerland international’s impact in the team. The German is currently short on confidence, and lacking the killer instinct in the final third that Xhaka demonstrated in his last season at the club. 

Xhaka has settled in quickly to life at Bayer Leverkusen, where he is plying his trade under the watch of Xabi Alonso. He has started every Bundesliga match so far this season, as his side currently sit at the top of the league table with eleven games played and no defeats suffered.