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Granit Xhaka reveals that he was already ‘out’ of Arsenal until Mikel Arteta spoke to him and convinced him to stay at the club.
THE LOWDOWN: CONTROVERSY WITH FANS
Xhaka’s days at Arsenal looked to be all but over after he was famously booed by his own fans after he was substituted by Unai Emery against Crystal Palace in October 2019.
If that wasn’t enough, the Swiss further infuriated the fans by angrily waving and cupping his ear sarcastically, before he then removed his shirt and stormed down the tunnel in a haste at the Emirates stadium.
While he was captain of the club at the time, that incident had everyone certain Xhaka would leave the club. It seemed like that was going to happen but the story changed when Emery was sacked and Mikel Arteta came in as his replacement.
THE LATEST: ARETA SAVED THE DAY
Speaking to the BBC, the 29-year-old admits that he was all set to leave the north London club until Arteta spoke with him and convinced him to stay.
Xhaka said: “He (Arteta) is the reason why I’m still at this football club. All of the club knows why I am still here, because three years ago I was gone.
“My suitcases were packed and finished, but I had a meeting with Mikel when he came. He wanted to hear my opinion about what had happened and I explained to him.”
Explaining how his conversation with Arteta went, Xhaka detailed that the new Gunners boss at the time pleaded with him to try and salavage the situation.
He added: “I remember it exactly. I told him, ‘It has nothing to do with you’, because I didn’t know him and I never played with him. Obviously I knew his name, but not the person and I said, ‘I’m gone, I can’t wear the shirt any more’.
“He said, ‘Give me a chance for six months and if you are still not happy after six months, I’m the guy who will help you, not to run away, but you can leave’.
“I didn’t speak with family, with nobody, and normally I don’t do that. But I said, ‘OK Mikel, I will stay for you’, and I’m still here.”
THE VERDICT: TURNED AROUND HIS SITUATION
Granit Xhaka might have lost his captaincy but is still easily regarded as one of the natural leaders in the dressing room without the armband.
New captain Martin Odegaard will surely pick a thing or two from the Swiss as he takes on a new responsibility of leadership.
Credits to Mikel Arteta as well for coming in and trying to make something positive out of the situation. Against all odds, Xhaka managed to turnaround his Arsenal career and is now a mainstay in the Gunners starting lineup when he’s fit and available for selection.
