2022/23 was arguably Granit Xhaka’s best season in an Arsenal shirt.
Mikel Arteta moved the Swiss international into a more advanced role in midfield, allowing him to impact the play a lot more in the final third.
Xhaka scored five and assisted seven in the league, playing a crucial role in Arsenal clinching 2nd place.
Of course, missing out on the title was a big blow and Arsenal look set for another blow this summer.
Reports suggest Xhaka will leave the Emirates for Bayer Leverkusen in the next window for just £13m.
When quizzed about these reports recently, Mikel Arteta said: “I cannot talk and I won’t talk about the future of any player. We have to wrap up the season and then we will plan the following season.”
“We have become a better club and better people and we have understood certain situations much better than just judging them.
“I think the club and a lot of people have done really well to dig in there and understand what happened emotionally and why those reactions were happening. And having the courage to say okay, let’s turn around the situation and face it.
“We have four or five in that dressing room who have been critical for those players to grow, to have the right support and to inspire them.
“And in the right moment to challenge them, to get them into the right direction when they are tempted to go somewhere else. You need that.”
