Rolfes, a former player, ensured that manager Xabi Alonso could call on the services of the Swiss midfielder this term.
Xhaka has been instrumental in Leverkusen's march towards the Bundesliga title.
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"Granit was the top option for us," Rolfes told Frankfurter Rundschau.
"That's why we tried to find him so early.
"If he had said he wanted to stay in London, it wouldn't have worked. But we already had his positive signal in February.
"It was a long battle with Arsenal after that, but Granit had always behaved correctly there, even in difficult times. That's what made the transfer in July possible."