Granit Xhaka Closes In On Move To Sunderland After £17m Deal Agreed With Bayer Leverkusen

Granit Xhaka is closing successful connected a move to Sunderland aft they agreed a £17m woody pinch Bayer Leverkusen for nan erstwhile Arsenal midfielder.

Xhaka has been eager to return to nan Premier League and now has his wish aft Sunderland agreed to salary £13m upfront for nan 32-year-old Switzerland international, pinch nan remaining £4m made up of add-ons. All going well, Xhaka will motion a three-year woody pinch Régis Le Bris’s recently promoted side.

Leverkusen’s caput coach, Erik 10 Hag, was keen connected keeping Xhaka astatine Leverkusen having already mislaid Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong and Jonathan Tah this summer. Xhaka was besides portion of nan broadside that won nan German double and reached nan Europa League last successful 2024. He was besides an integral personnel of nan squad that vanished 2nd to Bayern Munich successful nan Bundesliga past season, arsenic good arsenic featuring 10 times successful nan Champions League.

Le Bris wanted to adhd greater Premier League acquisition to his midfield and had enquired astir nan readiness of Jordan Henderson earlier nan erstwhile Sunderland subordinate elected to subordinate Brentford aft leaving Ajax. During Xhaka’s 7 years astatine Arsenal he won nan FA Cup doubly and, overall, made 297 appearances for nan club.

Xhaka would go Sunderland’s seventh signing of nan summer, pursuing successful nan footsteps of Habib Diarra, Noah Sadiki, Simon Adingra. Chemsdine Talbi, Reinildo Mandava and Enzo Le Fée. Of nan caller arrivals only Adingra has anterior Premier League acquisition having made 60 appearances for Brighton.

Meanwhile, Xhaka’s chap Swiss world Dan Ndoye remains a target for Nottingham Forest, who are moving connected a woody to motion nan winger from Bologna. Talks betwixt some clubs person taken spot successful caller weeks but location is optimism a woody tin beryllium agreed for a subordinate who is keen connected moving to England.