Xhaka has revealed that he speaks with several of his former Arsenal teammates every day as he prepares for his first match against the club.
The Swiss international was part of Arsenal for seven years before he transferred to Bayer Leverkusen last summer.
This move paid off as Leverkusen posted an astonishing record of an ‘invincible double’, whereby the team was crowned both the Bundesliga champions and German Cup champions without tasting defeat at any point in the two tournaments.
A feat that made the Swiss describe his move to the German Champions as not a step back, but rather two steps forward. aiming a subtle dig at Arsenal as reported by Sportsbuddy.
Remarkable Season with Leverkusen
Leverkusen had a sensational season where they only tasted defeat in one of their 53 games, namely in the final of the Europa League to Atalanta.
Xhaka, now back in north London for a pre-season friendly against Arsenal, expects an emotional reception.
His time at Arsenal characterized by a switch from losing the captaincy following a confrontation with supporters to rebuilding his image under the management of Mikel Arteta.
Maintaining good relationships with former teammates
Before the friendly match, Xhaka said he was looking forward to meeting his friends.
According to Bild, as quoted by The Metro, Xhaka said, “When you play at a club for seven years, the return is always special. I had a wonderful time at Arsenal and still have daily contact with many of the players and staff. ”
He also said he remains good friends with Thomas Partey, Oleksandr Zinchenko, and Gabriel Jesus.
In his seven-year spell at Arsenal, Xhaka featured 297 times after signing for £30 million from Borussia Monchengladbach in 2016, clinching two FA Cups and two Community Shields.
