‘He was a lonely guy’: Martin Keown makes claim about £21m star Arsenal sold

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Martin Keown has admitted that he ‘wasn’t a massive fan’ of Granit Xhaka before he turned his career around at Arsenal and under Mikel Arteta.

The Highbury legend claimed that Granit Xhaka was a ‘lonely guy’ at Arsenal because the fans had ‘turned their back on him’ after he lost the captain’s armband.

Not so long after, Mikel Arteta entered the building and helped turn Xhaka’s career around, with Keown adding that they were right to part ways with him this summer, as he told Stadium Astro.

The 30-year-old headed back to Germany and signed for Bayer Leverkusen for just over £21 million this summer (Sky Sports).

Xhaka’s career at Arsenal ended with him netting a brace at home to Wolves on the final day of last season, which was a fitting goodbye for the player.

As a result, Declan Rice, for a British record transfer fee, entered the building, and Keown agreed that he is the right ‘long-term’ fit for the club.

“It’s an interesting one in how he recovered,” said Keown. “Initially, he didn’t do well. They got £25 million for him. He played 99% of the games last season.

“He is in his early 30s, I think they made the right call in moving him on and bringing in Declan Rice.

On Arsenal being better with Rice than Xhaka: “Long-term, okay. But I still think we should show respect for Granit Xhaka, as well as he did during the last couple of seasons.

“Oh, massively (Xhaka spitting opinion). I tell you that I wasn’t a massive fan, but I warmed to him in those last couple of years. The man was in a bad way. The fans had turned their back on him. He was a lonely guy. Lost the captaincy, so he did remarkably well to get back up. The manager patched him up, got the best out of him and got money for him, then got a better solution for him, I think (in Rice).”

Is Xhaka an Arsenal legend?

Perhaps fans would be happy for him to have that label because of how he turned things around at the club and with the fans.

From being booed by 60,000 Arsenal fans to getting a standing ovation, as well as the supporters chanting his name in his final game for the club.

Xhaka left his best form to last and now that he is out of the door, then he will be a big miss, more so for his leadership skills, both on and off the field of play.