Why Xhaka didn’t join Arsenal’s Premier League rivals

With his impressive form at Arsenal, Granit Xhaka could have decided to stay in England by joining another Premier League side.

However, Xhaka moved to the German Bundesliga where he joined Bayer Leverkusen in a £21 million transfer this summer.

The midfielder in a recent statement has now revealed why he left the Premier League after he decided to leave Arsenal.

According to the 30-year-old player, he had played for the Gunners for seven years and decided it was time for a fresh challenge.

Meanwhile, Xhaka has earlier dismissed speculations that his move away from the EPL was because his wife was unhappy in England.

He said: “I spent seven magnificent years at Arsenal, I didn’t want to play against them. It wasn’t easy for me to leave or for the club to let me go.

“I felt love and respect from Edu and Arteta, but I wanted to face a new challenge at Bayer Leverkusen.”