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Granit Xhaka reveals he came 'very close' to leaving Arsenal last summer following interest from Jose Mourinho's Roma... but midfielder insists he stayed because of Mikel Arteta and Edu's determination to keep him

Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka has claimed he was 'very close' to leaving the club last summer, insisting the 'door was open' to say goodbye to the Emirates Stadium.

The Switzerland international has split the Gunners fanbase ever since he joined the club from Borussia Moenchengladbach in the summer of 2016, having been stripped of the captaincy in 2019 after an foul-mouthed rant at fans.

Roma boss Jose Mourinho was reportedly desperate to sign the 29-year-old in last year's summer transfer window, only for a move to fail to materialise after the club failed to agree a fee.