Granit Xhaka has informed Bayer Leverkusen he wants a move to Sunderland, and the former Gunners has reached an agreement with the promoted Premier League club.
David Ornstein reports for The Athletic that Granit Xhaka has informed current club Bayer Leverkusen that he’s only interested in joining Sunderland this summer, having reached an agreement with the Black Cats over personal terms.
There’s evidently no club-to-club agreement just yet, with negotiations ongoing, but Xhaka has asked Leverkusen to close the proposed transfer quickly.
Reports broke of Sunderland’s interest in Xhaka last week, but at the time it was reported that the English club faced competition in Saudi Arabia.
Presumably the Saudi clubs made the more attractive financial offers to Xhaka and his club, but the player’s desire is to play for Sunderland instead.
As it stands, Xhaka still has a contract with Leverkusen until 2028, so they’ll have to agree to his departure and should still have a strong negotiating position.
Xhaka spent seven years in the Premier League with Arsenal, but he’s spent the last couple of seasons in Germany since his 2023 departure. He could now be on the verge of an unexpected comeback.