“I knew how important he could be to the team” - Micah Richards admits he was ‘devastated’ after Arsenal sold 31-year-old star

Former Manchester City star Micah Richards has admitted that he was devastated by Arsenal's choice to sell Granit Xhaka last summer.

The Switzerland international played an important role for the Gunners in an advanced midfield position during the 2022/23 season. He finished the campaign with seven goals and assists each in 37 Premier League appearances.

However, the 31-year-old decided to move on and was sold to German side Bayer Leverkusen for a reported £21 million. In hindsight, that may have been the right decision for Xhaka, who won the Bundesliga this season without losing a single league game.

However, the north Londoners may have felt like they lost a key player after they finished two points behind Manchester City, who won the Premier League title this season. Speaking about how important Xhaka was to the Gunners' setup, Richards told The Rest is Football podcast (via The Boot Room):

"Xhaka, when he left Arsenal, I was absolutely devastated because I knew how important he could be to the team. Okay, he got a lot of red cards and he was a target at times, but he was so good, especially when he was playing a bit more offensive for Arsenal at times."

The midfielder did split opinion at the Emirates due to his rash nature at times. However, he ended his Gunners career on a high and with the love of the fans at the club.

Overall, Xhaka made 297 appearances for the Premier League side, bagging 23 goals and 29 assists across competitions. He won two FA Cups and Community Shield titles each.

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Granit Xhaka reveals reason behind moving to Germany from Arsenal

Granit Xhaka

Former Arsenal star Granit Xhaka revealed that the reason behind leaving the Emirates was because he wanted a new challenge. In doing so, he rubbished claims that his wife wished to move to Germany.

Rather, Xhaka's wife Leonita was against the move back to Germany, according to the midfielder. While speaking to Blick about the reasons behind his Emirates exit, Xhaka said (via Pain in the Arsenal):

"My wife was initially against it. It was written that she was the reason why I wanted to come back to Germany, but that wasn't the case.

"The football there was world class, the people were great, the city was very beautiful, but as a person and as a player I wanted a new challenge."

Up until this point, the Swiss has made 50 appearances across competitions for Bayer Leverkusen, bagging four goals and two assists. He's currently joined the national team as they gear up for the European Championships.