The former Arsenal midfielder wasted no time in throwing his former team under the bus
Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Granit Xhaka has angered Arsenal fans after describing his decision to leave Arsenal for the Bundesliga club, as “two steps forward.”.
Xhaka does not regret leaving Arsenal
Speaking at a media round table, Xhaka stated, “The move from Arsenal to Leverkusen was not a step back, but rather two steps forward.” noting that he felt something special was developing at the club before deciding to join them in 2023.
Leverkusen, who head into the season as the reigning Bundesliga and DFB Pokal champions, have high ambitions and Xhaka expressed a strong desire to continue competing at the top level, with the German side.
Speaking about Leverkusen's goals for the upcoming season, Xhaka said, “We want even more. Not only this year, but of course we want to play at the top in the coming years.”
To strengthen their squad depth, Leverkusen have made several key signings, including Aleix Garcia from Girona, and Martin Terrier and Jeanuel Belocian from Rennes, hoping to compete on both domestic and European fronts.
Xhaka’s time with Leverkusen
Since joining Leverkusen in the summer of 2023, the Swiss midfielder has been instrumental to the club’s success, playing all but one of the Bundesliga games in the 2023/24 season as they won the league unbeaten.
Xhaka scored four goals and two assists in 50 games for Leverkusen during their highly successful season, including the winner in the DFB Pokal final against Kaiserslautern to complete a domestic double.
Leverkusen are set to begin their new campaign on August 17th against VfB Stuttgart in the DFL Super Cup, followed by their Bundesliga opener against Borussia Mönchengladbach a week later. The team’s performance in these fixtures will be crucial as they seek to build momentum early in the season.