Granit Xhaka, Bundesliga champion. Arriving at Bayer Leverkusen from Arsenal in the summer, the 31-year-old has been integral to Xabi Alonso’s historic Meisterschale winning campaign which saw Die Werkself go unbeaten in 34 games.
A key component in Bayer’s midfield alongside Exequiel Palacios and Robert Andrich, Xhaka registered 3648 touches, 3259 passes and 3003 successful passes in the 2023/24 Bundesliga campaign, setting three new records since 04/05, per Opta.
A steal at just €15m, Xhaka missed just one league game through a yellow card suspension. With a level-head and vital experience, the Swiss captain has elevated this Bayer Leverkusen squad to a whole new level, playing a significant role in their European campaign – losing out on the Europa League to Atalanta in the final – but the double is still on with a DFB Pokal final against 2. Bundesliga side Kaiserslautern on Saturday night.
Across Europe’s top five leagues, Xhaka is in the 99th percentile for Progressive Passes (11.89 per 90) and 97th percentile for Pass Completion (91.4%).
It really has been a season to remember for Bayer Leverkusen and Xhaka.
