Xhaka reveals Arsenal ‘CHAOS’ behind exit decision

Robin Bairner

• Updated: 2 Oct 2023 10:58 BST
• 3 min read

Granit Xhaka has revealed that he left Arsenal for Bayer Leverkusen in the summer in search of a more peaceful period to his career.

Xhaka had spent seven years with the Gunners, but these were turbulent and often marked with controversy.

Indeed, prior to becoming a vital piece of the Arsenal team under Mikel Arteta, he was on the verge of being pushed out of the club during the era of Unai Emery and it was only the sacking of the now Aston Villa manager that saved his career at the Emirates.

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He concluded his time at Arsenal as the captain of the resurgent side that came within a whisker of beating Manchester City to the Premier League title, but he felt that was nevertheless a good place to end his career at the club.

Speaking to NZZ, the 31-year-old Switzerland midfielder said: “My time at Arsenal was over so I decided to leave. You can work in peace at Leverkusen.

“Here there’s no chaos, other clubs are more in focus. At Arsenal the pressure is different. But we have high ambitions as we’ve enormous potential in the team.

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“It was sometimes written that I was coming back to Germany because of my wife. That’s not the truth. Like me, she was very happy in London.

“I didn’t come to Leverkusen as a boss… but because I was looking for a new challenge. I felt like my time at Arsenal was over after seven years in London. I came here as an experienced player and person. My teammates see that I can give them something of what I have learned. That’s part of my role here.”

Leverkusen have made a strong start to the Bundesliga season under highly rated head coach Xabi Alonso, with five wins and a draw carrying them to the top of the table after Bayern Munich were held to a draw by RB Leipzig at the weekend.