Granit Xhaka says his move to Bayer Leverkusen was about seeking a new challenge.

The former Arsenal midfielder joined Bayer last week for €25m.

“There was speculation everywhere that my wife was no longer happy in England. That is not at all true," Xhaka told Keystone-SDA. "The fact is that as a person I am always interested in new challenges.

“After seven years, the time has come for something completely new. The league is not new, but the club is. During the talks with Simon Rolfes [sporting director] and Xabi Alonso, I felt that the long-term project at Leverkusen was worthwhile and that it was 100% in line with me."

Xhaka also spoke highly of Mikel Arteta, describing the Spaniard as "A coach I respect immensely".

"[He's] a coach who understands an incredible amount of football. Someone who sees football with completely different eyes," Xhaka added. "I had a great relationship with him. Thanks in part to him, we achieved what was missing for years: the Champions League."