Granit Xhaka made Arsenal transfer decision after honest Mikel Arteta chat - 'I broke my rules'

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Granit Xhaka decided to stay at Arsenal after an honest conversation with Mikel Arteta when he rejoined as head coach. The Swiss international will face his former club with Sunderland on Saturday night and will no doubt be reminded of his time in north London.

The 33-year-old spent seven years with the Gunners, earning the captaincy and becoming a staple in the matchday squad. However, things began to sour under Unai Emery late on in Xhaka's career with Arsenal and it was looking increasingly likely that he would leave prematurely.

When Arteta arrived in December 2019 , Xhaka admitted he was preparing to leave the club and it would be difficult to change his mind. Speaking to The Players Tribune in 2022, the Swiss international said: "As we all know, I was left out of the squad and lost the captaincy.

"When Mikel was appointed in December, I told him that I wanted to leave. He understood completely. We had a second chat a few days later, and when I went in, I had talked it through with my wife. Our suitcases were literally placed by the door."

Then something strange happened as Xhaka admitted he "broke his own rules" by allowing Arteta to convince him to buy into the long-term plan with Arsenal. He said: "When I have made a decision like that, it is very difficult to change my mind.

"But then Mikel began to talk about how I was a big part of his plans. I liked his warmth. He was honest, straight. Clear plans. I felt I could trust him. He told me to give him six months to prove me wrong, and then if I still wanted to leave, no problem.

"Normally I spend a lot of time making these decisions. I talk to everyone around me, I weigh up the pros and cons. But that day I broke my own rules.

"I told Mikel, 'Ok.' I called my wife and my parents. 'We’re staying.' They were like, “No way.”

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"I said, 'Yes. Unpack the bags. This is a new challenge. Either you are with me, or I’ll go it alone, because I will go through with this.'"

Following his honest dicussion with Arteta, Xhaka stayed at Arsenal for a further four years, reviving his career and winning the FA Cup and Community Shield in the 2019/20 season. He later left to join Bayer Leverkusen, winning the domestic treble in Germany and reaching the final of the Europa League in a record-breaking season for the club.

He is now back in the Premier League with promoted Sunderland and has become an important figure for the Black Cats, earning the captain's armband under head coach Regis Les Bris. While Xhaka's mind will be fully focused on earning the three points at home, it is likely he will still hold plenty of fondness for his old club when they arrive at the Stadium of Light this weekend.

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