Former Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka has said his move to Bayer Leverkusen last summer was two steps forward in his career after initial reports suggested the 31-year-old had regressed.
The Swiss international decided to leave the Premier League giants after seven years returning to Germany last summer and Arsenal received €25m for his departure.
Xhaka was crucial to Mikel Arteta's side in his last season as the Gunners ran Man City close to the Premier League title, however, when Declan Rice arrived at the North London club, the 31-year-old made the decision to leave England.
Many suggested at the time that this was a step backwards in Xhaka's career and on paper it is, but the midfielder doesn't seem to think so after an impressive first campaign with Bayer Leverkusen.
Speaking to BILD about the move to the German champions, Xhaka said of Fabrizio Romano: “Moving from Arsenal to Bayer Leverkusen was not a step back, but rather two steps forward.
“We have to do better than last season now.”
Granit Xhaka has had an incredible first season at Bayer Leverkusen
Last season was the biggest in the history of Bayer Leverkusen and Xhaka played a big role in helping the team achieve that. Xabi Alonso's side won the Bundesliga title without losing a game and added the DFB-Pokal to their side.
The only blip in their 2023/24 campaign was defeat to German side Atalanta in the Europa League final, which would have seen Alonso's men secure the treble.
Seeing how last season played out for Leverkusen and Xhaka, it's hard to say that the 31-year-old has taken a step back, especially when Arsenal went another season without a title.
The Swiss star would not have intended to offend you with his comments as it is clear that he is happy with the decision he made about his career last summer.
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