‘He was an idiot’… Pundit says 31-year-old has totally changed since leaving Arsenal

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Bayer Leverkusen’s rise to prominence has been one of the biggest stories in football this season, and one of the key players in the team has been Granit Xhaka.

The Swiss midfielder has genuinely been one of the best players in Europe this season, and that’s almost hard to believe after such a topsy-turvy time at Arsenal over the best part of the last decade.

Xhaka looks like a totally different player now, and speaking on his podcast, Eamon Dunphy has noted just how much the midfielder has changed.

The pundit says the 31-year-old has completely changed since his time at Arsenal, claiming that he’s lost that negative side of his game that saw him cause problems both on and off the pitch at Arsenal during his career at the Emirates.

Granit Xhaka has transformed

Dunphy spoke about the midfielder.

“Who’s their star man? Xhaka. He’s in midfield, he’s calmed down, playing as a playmaker. There’s none of the old stuff we had at Arsenal. He was an idiot, kickng people, screaming at referees, it’s all gone, he’s a new man. That’s another tick from the manager ‘I can fix maniacs’,” Dunphy said.

Been brilliant

Xhaka has been absolutely brilliant for Bayer Leverkusen this season, but this isn’t anything new.

Yes, he has transformed since his lowest ebb at Arsenal, but let’s not forget, Xhaka showed this side of his game last season.

The 31-year-old was arguably Arsenal’s best player last term, and he’s only improved this season.

Selling Xhaka this summer may be a move that ultimately backfires for Arsenal, especially as the Gunners have had their own midfield issues this season as Kai Havertz has struggled to get to grips with his role under Mikel Arteta.

Xhaka is a different player now, yes, but Arsenal got to see the best of Xhaka towards the end of his career in north London.