On Thursday, Bayer Leverkusen announced the acquisition of Switzerland midfielder Granit Xhaka from Arsenal on a five-year contract. Xhaka, aged 30, joined Arsenal in 2016 and had one year left on his existing contract. However, it was widely anticipated that he would leave as Arsenal pursued a move for English international Declan Rice.
“In Granit we have been able to bring in an absolute top player,” said Leverkusen sporting director Simon Rolfes in a club statement.
Returning to the Bundesliga, Xhaka’s transfer to Bayer Leverkusen is reportedly worth 25 million euros ($27.2 million). He spent seven years at Arsenal, during which he won the FA Cup twice but also experienced the loss of his club captaincy. Throughout his time at Arsenal, Xhaka made 297 appearances and scored 23 goals. Notably, he scored two goals on the final day of the season in a 5-0 home victory against Wolves, contributing to Arsenal’s second-place finish in the Premier League.
Xhaka’s departure from Arsenal was met with warm regards from the club’s supporters, demonstrating a remarkable change in perception following his infamous incident of swearing at the crowd during a match against Crystal Palace in 2019.
