Granit Xhaka reveals he almost left Arsenal last summer

Granit Xhaka reveals how Arteta helped him in his career.

The Swiss international has never been a fan favourite at the Emirates and despite the criticism he has been a mainstay at Arsenal.

The 29-year-old Swiss midfielder explained how close he came to leaving Emirates last summer.

“Without him [Arteta], I would not be here in this football club anymore,” Xhaka told ESPN. “He helped me a lot when I was completely down. He took me aside, helped me with small things, step by step, tactically, as a person, mentality, between the team and the club, tried to help me as well with the fans.

“He is a freak in a positive way. Tactically, he knows everything. How he prepares the team before training, before the games, is unbelievable. I had a lot of coaches, but I have to put Mikel as one of the top ones in my career.

“It was something, yes. Very close. It didn’t happen because Mikel was the guy with Edu, they didn’t let me go because they wanted to keep me here. Of course, my first reaction was to stay at the football club, but they opened the door: ‘If something comes, I can leave.”

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