It has been a year since Shkodran Mustafi signed for us, but he could have been forgiven for not moving back to England at all.
The World Cup winner had struggled to force way into Everton’s first-team plans during his first stint in the Premier League, making just one appearance for David Moyes’ side between 2009 and 2012.
After getting vital senior experience at Sampdoria and Valencia, Mustafi signed for us in August 2016, and he was determined to leave a positive mark upon his return to England.
“To be honest at the beginning I thought I was done with England because it was really frustrating [at Everton] and probably the worst time I had as a footballer,” he told Arsenal Player.
“I didn’t want to go there again but then when it came down to making a decision to stay or leave, I thought I would only leave Valencia if I had the opportunity to go to England.
“I was thankful that I had another opportunity to make a step forward by coming to Arsenal. For the rest of my life, I don’t want to be patient anymore.”
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