Granit Xhaka has revealed that Mikel Arteta convinced him to stay at Arsenal after the Switzerland international became "very close" to leaving the Gunners.
It all stemmed from an incident on 27 October 2019, when Xhaka was at the centre of criticism after being substituted off in the 61st minute against Crystal Palace. A portion of Arsenal fans started to cheer when his name was called to be replaced, while he was also booed as he left the pitch at the Emirates Stadium.
The 30-year-old responded by making several sarcastic gestures and angrily saying "f*** off" twice to the fans who jeered his name. Xhaka also removed his jersey before walking straight down the tunnel, with then-manager Unai Emery describing his actions as "wrong" and suggested that the midfielder should apologise.
