Stats show that Mikel Arteta may regret selling former Arsenal star this summer

Xabi Alonso has led Bayer Leverkusen to become one of the best teams in Europe this season, and former Arsenal player Granit Xhaka has been a vital contributor to that success.

Leverkusen are presently first in their Europa League group and the Bundesliga, having tied just one match all season.

Xhaka has been instrumental in this, as evidenced by the statistics. The midfielder has completed more final third passes (127) and progressive passes (119), more than any other player in Europe’s top five divisions thus far this season, per Fabrizio Romano.

The Switzerland international was also crucial to Arsenal’s bid for the Premier League championship last season; therefore, given the Gunners’ poor performance this season, did Arteta err by selling the 31-year-old this summer?

While Arsenal’s start to the season has been satisfactory, Arteta’s squad has not been as convincing as they were in the previous campaign. While there are several contributing factors to this, injuries have played a significant role.

Nonetheless, they mourn Xhaka, who contributed seven goals and seven assists in the Premier League last season. Although Declan Rice has performed admirably in place of the veteran midfielder, the remaining members of the Arsenal midfield have yet to demonstrate their worth.