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21 hours ago
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Sunderland have completed the signing of the Swiss midfielder Granit Xhaka from Bayer Leverkusen on a three-year contract. The fee has not been disclosed but is thought to be an initial £13m, with a further £4m in potential add-ons.
The 32-year-old arrives on Wearside having spent two years with Leverkusen, where he was part of their impressive 2023-24 season, crowned Bundesliga champions, lifting the DFB-Pokal and reaching the Europa League final.
Xhaka made 49 appearances in all competitions for Leverkusen last season, including 10 in the Champions League, having joined from Arsenal in July 2023. Xhaka has also been the Switzerland captain since 2020, and is their record appearance holder with 137 caps.
He began his career at Basel before joining Borussia Mönchengladbach before moving to Arsenal in 2016. Xhaka spent seven years in north London, making 225 Premier League appearances and winning the FA Cup twice. He was stripped of the club captaincy by Unai Emery in 2019 after an angry confrontation with fans, but then enjoyed a resurgence in form under Mikel Arteta’s management.
“I’m very proud to be here,” Xhaka told the Sunderland website. “When I spoke to the club, I was excited and I felt the energy, and the mentality that all the people and players have. It’s exactly what I wanted, and I have a very good feeling.”
“We are back to where this club needs to be, and we want to stay here to write our own history,” he added. “I feel that I’m ready to help the team with my experience but with quality as well. We need to find ourselves on the pitch, but I don’t think this will be a big problem. It’s been a long time to wait, but I’m here now and I’m looking forward to it.”
The club’s sporting director, Kristjaan Speakman, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Granit and his family to Sunderland. His arrival is a significant endorsement of our ambition and our desire to build a team our supporters can be proud of in the Premier League.
“His accomplishments and quality need little introduction,” Speakman added. “He’s a player of the highest calibre on and off the field, who we feel is the perfect match to the profile required in our team. We are excited to see the impact he can make on the field and within our dressing room.”
Xhaka’s arrival is the latest signing in a busy transfer window for the Premier League newcomers. Former loanee Enzo Le Fée has joined permanently while fellow midfielders Habib Diarra and Noah Sadiki have been brought in.
Wingers Simon Adingra and Chemsdine Talbi have also joined the club, along with the Atlético Madrid full-back Reinildo Mandava. The Black Cats have also reached an agreement to sign goalkeeper Robin Roefs. The 22-year-old made 33 Eredivisie appearances for NEC Nijmegen last season.
