Xhaka says style of play and manager prompted him to join Arsenal

Arsenal summer signing Granit Xhaka has revealed that there were a lot of factors that prompted him to sign for the Gunners this summer. The Swiss international moved in from Borussia Monchengladbach and has made two starts in the league thus far, against Leicester City and Watford.

The midfielder went to pre-season with the Gunners and revealed that it was a brilliant experience, being able to stay with the players and getting to know them better. Xhaka arrived late to training, owing to his involvement in the European Championships in France where they dropped out of the round of 16 on penalties to Poland.

On why he signed for Arsenal, Xhaka revealed that it was a combination of many factors, including the style of play, the manager, the players, suiting his style of play compared to the other teams in the league. The midfielder revealed that he likes to keep the ball on the pitch, rather than play long balls, which has been Arsenal's forte over the years.

"There were many points. Arsenal are a team that I've admired for years because of the attractive playing style. That's a style that fits to me - I'm not the sort of person who particularly enjoys seeing only the long ball played," Xhaka told Arsenal's official website.

"I like keeping the ball on the ground, I like playing football. Arsenal's style influenced me. Then there's the manager, the staff and the players. Having the opportunity to play and train with the squad here under the guidance of a manager like Arsène Wenger is something you can only say yes to."

The 23-year-old also had a talk with Arsene Wenger before the move where they spoke in German, given the manager's proficiency in that language. Wenger convinced Xhaka about the viability of the move as the Premier League is the place to be in as a player.

"We spoke in German because he can speak that language really well. I'd actually spoken to him last year and can still remember what he said then. He told me if I wanted to come to paradise, I should move to the Premier League. That conversation was a big factor for me," Xhaka added.