Arsenal midfielder, Granit Xhaka has disclosed that Mikel Arteta and the club’s technical director, Edu played an integral part in preventing him from leaving the club last summer.
Recall that the 29-year-old was stripped of the club captaincy in November 2019 after he appeared to goad the Gunners fans when they sarcastically applauded him off the pitch following a series of poor performances.
Xhaka, who last season extended his new contract until 2024, noted that Arteta and Edu showed great passion in ensuring that he stays with the team.
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In an interview with ESPN, Xhaka confirmed that the rumours about his potential departure from Arsenal in the past were true and when asked why it didn’t happen, the Swiss international replied: “Because Mikel was the guy Edu, they did not let me go because they wanted to keep me here. Of course, my first reaction was to stay at the football club, but they opened the door: ‘If something comes, I can leave.’
“I have to be honest as well. I don’t want to say a name now, but the door was open for me to leave the club as well. But in the end, people decided to keep me here.”
