Granit Xhaka has explained leaving Arsenal for Bayer Leverkusen.

Xhaka spent seven seasons at Arsenal before joining Bayer this past summer. With Arsenal, there were a total of 298 competitive matches for the English giants.

"What does boss mean? The word is a bit big. I didn't come to Leverkusen as a boss, but because I was looking for a new challenge. I felt my time at Arsenal was over after seven years in London," Xhaka told NZZ am Sonntag.

"I came here as an experienced player and person. The other players see that I can give them something of what I have learned. That is part of my role here.

The Swiss also dismissed rumours that his wife was behind the move.

"It was sometimes written that I would come back to Germany because of my wife. That is not the truth. Like me, she was very happy in London. I made the decision purely as a footballer and athlete. I came to a top club in Germany that has a plan and wants to achieve something. Of course, the change was easier for us because we used to live in Düsseldorf and it is close to Mönchengladbach, where my wife grew up.

"You can work in peace in Bayer Leverkusen, there is no chaos, other clubs are more in focus. It is an advantage. At Arsenal, the pressure is different. But we have high ambitions because we know we have enormous potential in the team."