Arsenal hero comes clean on 'pure relief' of leaving Emirates and puts legacy at risk

Former Arsenal captain Granit Xhaka has admitted that leaving the club was a 'pure relief'. The Switzerland international had a rocky time in north London but wormed his way into supporters' good books by the time he left for Bayer Leverkusen last summer.

The mended relationship between Xhaka and the fans was thanks, in no small part, to his superb 2022/23 campaign. Embracing a more adventurous midfield role, the 31-year-old enjoyed his best individual career in front of goal, finding the net nine times in all competitions as Arsenal went close to a Premier League title.

Approaching 300 appearances for the club and hitting his stride in the middle of the park, Xhaka chose a surprising time to look for a new challenge.

Leverkusen needed just £21.4million to lure him away from the Emirates Stadium, and the move paid dividends immediately as Xhaka played a pivotal role in the club's first-ever league and cup double, including a winning goal in the DFP-Pokal final.

In a frank and honest assessment of his move away from the Gunners, Xhaka has risked angering his former supporters by admitting his relief at finding a way out.

"My wife was there for the first meeting with Leverkusen," he said during an Amazon Prime documentary on the German club's unbeaten Bundesliga season. "I wanted to know how she felt."

Xhaka's father also gave his seal of approval after that meeting, and the player explained: "It was pure relief for me. I said: 'Yes! It's not just me who feels that way, but the family too'."

The former Borussia Monchengladbach star's return to the Bundesliga came four years after his lowest point at Arsenal. In 2019, while serving as captain, Xhaka reacted angrily and goaded supporters as they booed him off the pitch.

"I was lucky enough to be booed in 2019, as captain at Arsenal, in front of 60,000 fans," he explained. "I say lucky because that made me brutally strong.

"I'm grateful that I got out of there. Because it was a dark day for my family, my wife and my parents. I think it was even harder for them than it was for me."

Xhaka came within a whisker of leaving Arsenal three months later, before manager Mikel Arteta persuaded him to stay and turn his reputation around.