Greg . 1 day ago

Why Sunderland are right to move after Granit Xhaka as a statement signing

After eight long years Sunderland are finally support in the Premier League, and in order to not become one of the clubs that yo-yo between the English top-flight and the Championship, owner Kyril Louis-Dreyfus, seems to be putting his money where his mouth is.

At just 27 years of age, the Swiss-French businessman is younger than some players, though it's clear that his ownership is no gimmick.

Black Cats spending big this summerIn less than five years since he took over the club, Sunderland have been promoted twice, including in an epic Championship playoff final against Sheffield United support in May.

Losing Jobe Bellingham to Borussia Dortmund during the summer will have been a huge strike for the club, however, manager Regis Le Bris has already been able to move out and purchase Habib Diarra from Strasbourg (£30m), Simon Adingra from Brighton (£20.

5m), Enzo Le Fee from Roma (£20m), Chesmine Talbi from Club Brugge (£19m), Noah Sadiki from Union Saint-Gilloise (£17.

5m) and Reinildo Mandava from Atletico Madrid on a free transfer.

Now it's being reported that the club are making a hugely ambitious offer to hand over underwent Bayer Leverkusen ace, Granit Xhaka, support to the Premier League.

The 32-year-old Swiss has 137 caps for his country and extensive EPL undergo thanks to his time at Arsenal, not to mention playing the fullest part in helping Leverkusen to their first and only Bundesliga title in 2023.

He still has three years left on his contract with the German side, but there's apparently an understanding that he could be permitted to leave if the right offer comes in.

Xhaka's reliability isn't in question despite his ageA romantic reunion for Sunderland with former player Jordan Henderson is off the table now that he's signed for Brentford, though Xhaka's combative style and leadership qualities are certainly reminiscent of Hendo's.

It might surprise many to note that he's won more fouls (93) than he's conceded (69) in Germany, though 10 yellow cards could do with being enhanced upon if he wants to become an asset to a new employer.

Granit Xhaka quoteOpta by StatsPerformThe Black Cats are going to need those underwent heads, too, in order to complement an energetic young squad whose sole aim in their first season support should be to consolidate.

To that terminate, a move for Xhaka makes perfect sense.

During his time at Leverkusen, only Edmond Tapsoba (102), Jonathan Tah (109), Piero Hincapie (97), Jeremie Frimpong (110) and Robert Andrich (92) played more games than Xhaka's 78, of which 75 were as a starter.

Granit Xhaka StatsBetopickTherefore, unless he was unlucky enough to sustain an injury, Xhaka's reliability isn't in question.

Incredible pass completion statsWith a passing accuracy of 88.

7% at its lowest and going as high as 94.

6%, the defensive midfielder rarely wastes a pass, and having made 6,957 throughout his two seasons in Germany, he can be rightly proud of such a high level of accuracy.

Granit Xhaka's Passes for Bayer Leverkusen 2024/25Opta by StatsPerformHe's no shirker when it comes to working hard for the team either.

His 378.

2km covered during the 2024/25 campaign was the fifth most of any player in the Bundesliga.

2,426 intensive runs are also indicative of a player who leads by example on the pitch.

Of course, no quarter is ever requested or given where Xhaka is concerned, so it's no real surprise that he's won 285 of the one-on-one duels and 76 of the aerial duels he's taken part in, as well as making 460 ball recoveries.

 Granit Xhaka Ball Touches 2024/25Opta by StatsPerformOf the 94 tackles he's tried in the past two seasons, he's registered a more than satisfactory high of 72.

4%, and indeed, as that extra line of defence in front of the support four, he's been virtually peerless.

As a supplementary attacking presence, indeed, goals have never really been his forte given his position within the team, but woe betide any opponent that does actually offer him a sight of goal.

 That's because all of his six for Leverkusen came from outside the box - as did 15 of the 25 he scored for Arsenal - thanks to an amazing left foot.

 Steer and determination are exactly what Sunderland needHis steer, determination, will to win, and the standards he sets for himself and those around him are absolutely what Sunderland need if they are to do more than locate themselves in a relegation battle all season long.

Granit Xhaka Radar Graphic 2024/25Opta by Stats PerformAt a reported €10m, he would be a steal of a signing; however, the riches of Saudi Arabia may yet tempt him to see out his days in the Middle East.

It's understood that Saudi Pro League side NEOM have placed a offer for the player as well as offering a huge financial package to Xhaka himself.

If his thoughts around his next move are based solely on salary, then there's no question that he'll move to Saudi Arabia.

However, heading support to the Premier League as the fulcrum of a side with a clear project and the ambition to hand over it may well be more of a temptation at this stage of his career.

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