Forget Declan Rice, player Edu sold at Arsenal is now the best midfielder in the Premier League

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Arsenal have let several players leave the club over the years.

When Mikel Arteta took charge of the Gunners in 2019, he had an ageing squad at his disposal. There were players who were just not good enough for his project.

Slowly, the Arsenal manager moved players on and built the squad he wanted, and the North Londoners have been challenging for the big trophies since.

One player who left the Gunners after a successful spell under Arteta is now flying for a rival Premier League club.

Granit Xhaka rated as the best midfielder in the Premier League ahead of Declan Rice

When you’re talking about the best midfielders in the Premier League, Arsenal star Declan Rice has to be in the conversation.

The Englishman, along with Rodri, has dominated the middle of the park in recent seasons, and he has been very good this term as well.

However, Rice is nowhere near the top of WhoScored’s ratings for midfielders this season.

Former Arsenal captain Granit Xhaka leads the way with a score of 7.44/10 after his brilliant start to life as a Sunderland player.

Rice, on the other hand, has earned a score of just 7/10 this season and ranks below his teammate Martin Zubimendi, whose rating is 7.08/10.

Xhaka’s performances for Sunderland, who are sixth in the Premier League table and just two points below Arsenal, have been magnificent, and their fans absolutely love him.

What happened the last time Granit Xhaka played against Arsenal

Xhaka’s time at Arsenal was eventful, to say the least.

The Swiss international went from being axed as the captain and on his way out to becoming a fan favourite at the Emirates Stadium in his final season.

Edu Gaspar sold Xhaka to Bayer Leverkusen in the summer of 2023, and the midfielder returned to North London a year later to play in the Emirates Cup.

The Gunners smashed Leverkusen 4-1, and Xhaka’s mistake led to the fourth goal by Kai Havertz in the second half of that game.

Arsenal fans will give Xhaka a brilliant reception when he returns to the Emirates with Sunderland, but they will be hoping for a repeat of that result.