Granit Xhaka has spoken out to explain why he left Arsenal, denying a popular theory about his wife’s desire to leave England.

Granit Xhaka completed a transfer to Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen last week, earning Arsenal a very good fee of £21.5m in the process.

Coming off the back of such a strong season, perhaps Xhaka’s decision to leave was initially a surprise to many supporters.

The midfielder had made 47 appearances for Mikel Arteta’s side in 2022/23 as a key member of the team, scoring nine goals and assisting a further seven.

In the search for an explanation, there was some speculation that Xhaka’s wife was behind the move, pushing him to return to Germany. But the player denies these claims.

“There was speculation everywhere that my wife was no longer happy in England. That is not at all true,” Xhaka said.

“The fact is that as a person I am always interested in new challenges. After seven years, the time has come for something completely new.

“The league is not new, but the club is. During the talks with Simon Rolfes [sporting director] and Xabi Alonso, I felt that the long-term project at Leverkusen was worthwhile and that it was 100% in line with me.”

The fee of £21.5m is the highest fee a Premier League club has ever received for a midfielder in their thirties, easily trumping the £10+2m fee Arsenal paid for Jorginho in January.

Adam Rae Voge highlights that only five midfielders over 30 have ever gone for €25m+, in any league.

It’s still a shame to see Xhaka leaving after his best season in an Arsenal shirt, but the club are clearly looking to refresh the midfield.

With Bayer Leverkusen offering a good fee, and Xhaka clearly feeling it’s the right time to go, it could end up as a deal that suits all parties in the long term.