After seven years with the Gunners, Swiss midfielder Granit Xhaka has left the North London club to team up with German Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen. The 30-year-old midfielder, who joined Arsenal in 2016 and also briefly captained them from 2019 till 2022, signed a five-year contract with Leverkusen.

Granit Xhaka had a year left on his contract, but he was expected to leave this summer and has now left the Emirates Stadium in a €25 million deal. Xhaka has been previously linked to an Arsenal exit prior, with the Gunners rejecting a 15 million euros deal from Roma in 2021 before he then signed a contract extension for one year until 2024.

Xhaka played 297 games for Arsenal and scored 23 goals winning the FA Cup twice and finishing runners-up in the Premier League last season. On the final day of last season, Xhaka received a standing ovation from Arsenal fans after scoring a brace in a 5-0 win against Wolves in the final game of the season.

The Swiss was close to leaving Arsenal in 2019 when he was stripped of the captain’s armband barely after a month after becoming the club’s captain. He had a confrontation with Arsenal fans in October 2019 in the game against Crystal Palace just before he was stripped, and he stated afterward that he was close to leaving Arsenal.

“I wish nobody would be in the situation where I have been. It was the most difficult time for me and for my family. I was very, very close [to leaving Arsenal], and when I say very, very close, it was like you guys have the stuff here, and I only needed to take the stuff and to leave the door. At this moment, you don’t see anybody near you. This is the biggest problem. You are sitting in a dark place, feeling alone. You know you have people around, but you have no chance to touch them – and this is how I felt.” Xhaka stated.

Arsenal will sign Jurrien Timber and Declan Rice in addition to the acquisition of Kai Havertz previously.

Daniel Ademiju Idowu