Midfielder Granit Xhaka has once again spoken about his time at Arsenal, particularly the 2019 incident when he was booed by home fans and threw his shirt to the ground, coming close to leaving the club.
However, head coach Mikel Arteta changed the course of his decision and became one of the most influential figures in his career at the club.
In a recent interview, Xhaka confirmed that both he and his father, Ragip Xhaka, had seriously considered leaving Arsenal.
“The suitcases were packed. My father, who has always been critical throughout my career and used to say, ‘Once you leave, you will always leave,’ advised me in this situation: ‘You have to get out of there. When the fans are against you, it’s the worst thing in football. You have no chance,’” Xhaka said.
The decision to stay, however, came because of the manager:
“Why did I stay? Because of the coach. I only knew Mikel Arteta by name, not as a person. When he took over at Christmas, he immediately wanted to hear my side of the story. Then I told him: ‘Mikel, with all due respect, I can’t wear this shirt anymore.’
“He came back the next day and said: ‘Granit, I need you. Give me six months to convince you that you are the right person. I can’t make you captain anymore, but I will build the team around you. If I fail, I will be the first to help you leave.’
“I will never forget that conversation. Even now, I get chills thinking about it. His words were incredibly powerful. I looked at him, hugged him, and said: ‘Alright, I’ll stay.’ It was the only decision I made without my family,” the midfielder added.
When asked about his move to Bayer Leverkusen, Xhaka admitted that the decision was linked to the long-term contract offered by the German club.
“Bayer Leverkusen offered me a long-term contract. I wanted to return to Germany and felt it was the perfect time to leave. I also wanted to make room for young players at Arsenal. With Declan Rice, the club had found the right successor,” Xhaka concluded.
