Retro Granit Xhaka Shirt – The Swiss Warrior's Iconic Jerseys

Granit Xhaka's career began at FC Basel, where he debuted in 2010 and quickly helped the club secure consecutive Swiss Super League titles in 2010 and 2011. His commanding performances earned a 2012 transfer to Borussia Mönchengladbach in the Bundesliga, where he developed under Lucien Favre into one of Europe's most coveted holding midfielders. Four seasons in Germany sharpened his tactical discipline and earned him the captaincy at just 22. In 2016, Arsenal paid roughly £35 million to bring him to the Premier League, where his tenure became one of the most dramatic stories in recent club history. Initial seasons were marred by red cards and disciplinary issues, and a 2019 incident in which he reacted angrily to fans booing his substitution against Crystal Palace led to him being stripped of the captaincy and seemingly exiled. Yet under Mikel Arteta, Xhaka reinvented himself, pushing higher up the pitch as a hybrid number eight and producing the finest football of his career, culminating in Arsenal's 2022–23 title challenge. He left as a beloved figure in 2023, joining Bayer Leverkusen where he immediately formed the spine of Xabi Alonso's historic unbeaten Bundesliga winners. He lifted the German Cup that same season. For Switzerland, Xhaka has captained La Nati at multiple World Cups and European Championships, including the unforgettable Euro 2020 victory over France. In 2025, he took up a new chapter at Sunderland, instantly becoming captain.

Xhaka's career has been shaped by an extraordinary cast of teammates, managers and rivals. At Mönchengladbach, coach Lucien Favre transformed him from a rough-edged talent into a refined deep-lying playmaker. At Arsenal, his early years saw him alongside legends like Mesut Özil, Alexis Sánchez, Petr Čech and Aaron Ramsey, while later he became the trusted lieutenant of Mikel Arteta, partnering Thomas Partey and mentoring rising stars Bukayo Saka, Emile Smith Rowe and Martin Ødegaard. The Arteta-era reinvention also brought him close to Gabriel Martinelli and Ben White as Arsenal rebuilt. At Leverkusen, he flourished under Xabi Alonso alongside Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong and Jonathan Tah during the historic invincible season. Internationally, his bond with brother Taulant — whom he famously faced in Euro 2016 when Taulant played for Albania — added a unique storyline. Switzerland teammates Xherdan Shaqiri, Yann Sommer and Manuel Akanji have shared countless tournaments with him. Rivals like Kevin De Bruyne, N'Golo Kanté and Rodri have repeatedly tested his mettle in Premier League midfield battles, defining his competitive edge.

A retro Granit Xhaka shirt offers collectors a fascinating tour through some of European football's most iconic kit designs. His Basel jerseys featured the classic red and blue stripes, simple and authentically Swiss. The Mönchengladbach shirts — with their distinctive black, white and green diagonal sash — remain particularly sought after, especially editions from his captaincy years. Then come the Arsenal shirts, perhaps the most coveted of all: the 2017–18 Puma red home shirt, the divisive bruised-banana inspired 2019–20 Adidas third kit, and the celebrated 2022–23 home shirt worn during Arsenal's title charge are perennial favourites. His Bayer Leverkusen jerseys carry historic weight, particularly the 2023–24 home shirt that he wore lifting the Bundesliga title to break Bayern Munich's stranglehold. Switzerland's red home shirt with the white cross remains iconic, especially editions from Euro 2020 when he led the upset of France. Collectors seek match-worn versions, captain's armband editions, and shirts with name and number printing in original tournament fonts. Each shirt tells a different story of a career defined by determination.