Arsenal have now been given the "green light" to negotiate a deal to sell former club captain Granit Xhaka to Bayer Leverkusen over the "next days", claims transfers expert Fabrizio Romano.
Arsenal transfer news – what's the latest on Granit Xhaka?
It has finally happened for Arsenal, after almost a week of silence following news that West Ham United had accepted an offer of £105m for their captain Declan Rice, it was confirmed that a payment structure has been agreed upon, and the England international will be having his medical with the Gunners in the coming days.
With the deal complete and at a huge cost to the Gunners, the plan to sell Switzerland international Xhaka has been given the go-ahead by the board.
It was revealed before the final game of the season that the former Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder would be leaving the club.
Still, any deal had to be put on hold until the situation with Rice was finalised, just as a precaution.
With that no longer being a concern, the club have reportedly accepted an offer worth £21.5m from Bundesliga giants Bayer Leverkusen, who are said to have offered the 30-year-old a four-year deal.
It will be the end of a seven-year spell in north London that has seen him go from public enemy number one to a cult hero, but with Rice coming in, playing time would have inevitably become more limited.
Transfers expert Fabrizio Romano explained the situation on his YouTube channel, saying:
"Green light for Granit Xhaka to Bayer Leverkusen, so this deal will happen in the next days, they were just waiting to close the Declan Rice deal."
How good was Granit Xhaka last season?
It has been a rocky road for the Swiss captain in North London, to say the least, from a near-universally disliked figure among the match-going fans to a man that was serenaded for much of last season before getting a standing ovation on his final appearance for the club.
One of the main reasons for that turnaround has been his form for the club, going from a decent player to someone that was an unquestioned starter in a title chasing side.
According to WhoScored, the Basel-born machine achieved a brilliant average rating last season of 6.98 across his 37 appearances in the Premier League and seriously upped his attacking threat, scoring seven goals and assisting another seven.
His underlying numbers prove that it wasn't just luck last year either, but a sustained improvement to his overall game.
According to FBref, who compare players in a similar position across Europe's top five leagues, the midfield destroyer sits in the top 4% for touches in the opposition's penalty area, the top 8% for non-penalty goals, the top 15% for non-penalty expected goals and expected assists, and the top 16% for shot-creating actions, all per 90.
Mikel Arteta has made no secret of the admiration he feels for his player either, describing him as:
"Really, really important on every level, for the team and for the club as well. In the great moments like the season he has had, and in the difficult ones."
Whilst the Gunners are certainly getting an upgrade in the form of Rice, Xhaka has well and truly left his mark on the club and has been able to leave with his head held high.