‘i Felt The Energy’: Granit Xhaka Joins Sunderland On Three-year Contract

1 month ago

Sunderland person completed nan signing of nan Swiss midfielder Granit Xhaka from Bayer Leverkusen connected a three-year contract. The interest has not been disclosed but is thought to beryllium an first £13m, pinch a further £4m successful imaginable add-ons.

The 32-year-old arrives connected Wearside having spent 2 years pinch Leverkusen, wherever he was portion of their awesome 2023-24 season, crowned Bundesliga champions, lifting nan DFB-Pokal and reaching nan Europa League final.

Xhaka made 49 appearances successful each competitions for Leverkusen past season, including 10 successful nan Champions League, having joined from Arsenal successful July 2023. Xhaka has besides been nan Switzerland skipper since 2020, and is their grounds quality holder pinch 137 caps.

He began his profession astatine Basel earlier joining Borussia Mönchengladbach earlier moving to Arsenal successful 2016. Xhaka spent 7 years successful northbound London, making 225 Premier League appearances and winning nan FA Cup twice. He was stripped of nan nine captaincy by Unai Emery successful 2019 aft an angry confrontation pinch fans, but past enjoyed a resurgence successful shape nether Mikel Arteta’s management.

“I’m very proud to beryllium here,” Xhaka told nan Sunderland website. “When I said to nan club, I was excited and I felt nan energy, and nan mentality that each nan group and players have. It’s precisely what I wanted, and I person a very bully feeling.”

“We are backmost to wherever this nine needs to be, and we want to enactment present to constitute our ain history,” he added. “I consciousness that I’m fresh to thief nan squad pinch my acquisition but pinch value arsenic well. We request to find ourselves connected nan pitch, but I don’t deliberation this will beryllium a large problem. It’s been a agelong clip to wait, but I’m present now and I’m looking guardant to it.”

The club’s sporting director, Kristjaan Speakman, said: “We’re delighted to invited Granit and his family to Sunderland. His presence is simply a important endorsement of our ambition and our desire to build a squad our supporters tin beryllium proud of successful nan Premier League.

“His accomplishments and value request small introduction,” Speakman added. “He’s a subordinate of nan highest calibre connected and disconnected nan field, who we consciousness is nan cleanable lucifer to nan floor plan required successful our team. We are excited to spot nan effect he tin make connected nan section and wrong our dressing room.”

Xhaka’s presence is nan latest signing successful a engaged transportation model for nan Premier League newcomers. Former loanee Enzo Le Fée has joined permanently while chap midfielders Habib Diarra and Noah Sadiki person been brought in.

Wingers Simon Adingra and Chemsdine Talbi person besides joined nan club, on pinch nan Atlético Madrid full-back Reinildo Mandava. The Black Cats person besides reached an statement to motion goalkeeper Robin Roefs. The 22-year-old made 33 Eredivisie appearances for NEC Nijmegen past season.