- 13 hours ago
Why Arsenal sold Granit Xhaka for €15m
Robin Bairner
- 6 Jul 2024 10:22 BST
- 5 min read
Granit Xhaka left Arsenal to join Bayer Leverkusen on 6 July, 2023 in a transfer that in hindsight looks a poor decision for the Gunners.
The Emirates side allowed the 31-year-old to depart for just €15m, and he has since gone on to achieve wild success.
Xhaka was a centrepiece of the Leverkusen side that suffered only one defeat over the duration of the season in all competitions, sweeping to a first Bundesliga title in the process.
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He has been similarly impressive at Euro 2024, where he will lead Switzerland into battle against England in the quarter-finals.
But is the decision to sell him a decision that Arsenal and Mikel Arteta will regret? In a footballing sense, perhaps, but there is more to Xhaka’s transfer than that.
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Issues out of Arsenal’s control
Xhaka spoke to Arteta after Arsenal had qualified for the Champions League and indicated that he wanted to leave the club.
His desire to depart was fuelled by family reasons. His wife, Leonita Lekaj, wanted to be closer to her relations in Germany and it was agreed that if a Bundesliga club made a move for him he would be allowed to depart.
Arteta continued to plead his case from the Gunners’ perspective, but because Leverkusen arrived with an offer, the Spaniard felt powerless to stop a deal.
Ultimately, Arsenal’s promise to allow the player to leave was a greater consideration than getting true market value for a player who had an Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) nearly €12m greater than the figure they ultimately received.
Family played a big part in Xhaka’s decision, with football largely a secondary consideration in his thoughts.
Another issue was Arsenal’s unwillingness of offer him one big final contract to secure the future of his family. Although the Gunners did offer him a two-year extension, it wasn’t the long-term security that the midfielder was asking for. Instead, he got that when Xabi Alonso’s Leverkusen offered him a five-year deal.
It is a decision that could not have worked out better for Xhaka, who enjoyed the season of his dreams.
