Sunderland have reached an agreement to sign Switzerland international Granit Xhaka from Bayer Leverkusen in a deal worth £17 million, Afrosport reports.
The Black Cats will pay an initial fee of £13 million for the veteran midfielder, who is expected to travel to Wearside in the coming days to undergo a medical and finalise a three-year contract until 2028.
The deal marks a significant coup for Sunderland, particularly after Leverkusen manager Erik ten Hag had publicly insisted that Xhaka was not for sale, especially following the departures of key players such as Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong, and Jonathan Tah.
“This club has already sold three important players,” Ten Hag said last week. “We won’t let go of any more players; that’s not possible. That would neglect the structure and culture of the squad.
“Clearly, Granit is a leader. He signed for five years and has three years left on his contract. He’s too important for us to let go.”
However, the Swiss midfielder has now secured his desired return to the Premier League after a two-year stint in Germany.
The 32-year-old previously spent seven seasons at Arsenal, scoring 23 goals and providing 26 assists in 297 appearances. He won two FA Cups with the Gunners before joining Leverkusen in 2023.
His time in Germany proved fruitful, playing a crucial role in Leverkusen’s historic 2023-24 campaign, where the club claimed their first-ever Bundesliga title. He also added a German Cup and German Super Cup to his honours
Xhaka scored six goals in 99 appearances for Die Werkself, including bagging two goals and setting up seven in 33 Bundesliga appearances last season.
He becomes Sunderland’s eighth signing of the summer under head coach Regis Le Bris, joining a growing list of arrivals that includes Enzo Le Fée, Habib Diarra, Noah Sadiki, Reinildo Mandava, Chemsdine Talbi and Simon Adingra.
Sunderland are preparing for their long-awaited return to the Premier League after an eight-year absence and will open their campaign against West Ham at the Stadium of Light on 16 August.
