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Sunderland signed Swiss midfielder Granit Xhaka from Bayer Leverkusen for £17.3 million. The former Arsenal captain joins on a three-year contract.
Granit Xhaka was officially unveiled as a Sunderland player (X)
Premier League newcomers Sunderland on Wednesday announced the signing of Swiss midfielder Granit Xhaka from Bayer Leverkusen for a reported fee of £17.3 million ($23 million).
The 32-year-old Swiss international, who previously captained Arsenal, has signed a three-year contract at the Stadium of Light.
Xhaka left the Gunners in 2023 and won the Bundesliga and German Cup with Leverkusen during his spell at the club.
“I’m very proud to be here,” he said. “When I spoke to the club, I was excited and I felt the energy, and the mentality that all the people and players have.
“It’s exactly what I wanted, and I have a very good feeling. We are back to where this club needs to be, and we want to stay here to write our own history.”
Xhaka’s move follows the exits of Florian Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong, both of whom joined Liverpool earlier this summer. He now becomes the latest Bayer Leverkusen player to head to the Premier League, marking his return to English football two years after leaving Arsenal.
Xhaka’s switch to Sunderland is the latest signing in a busy transfer window for the club, promoted to the Premier League in May via the Championship play-offs.
Sunderland finished the 2024–25 campaign with a 21-12-13 record, securing their spot back in the top flight for the first time since the 2016–17 season.
The 32-year-old is Sunderland’s ninth signing of the summer transfer window as the club prepares for life back in the Premier League.
Other new arrivals include Enzo Le Fée, Habib Diarra, Matthew Burns, Noah Sadiki, Reinildo Mandava, Chamsdine Talbi, Simon Adingra, and Isaac Allan, all brought in to strengthen Regis Le Bris’ squad ahead of the new campaign.
The 2025–26 Premier League season kicks off for Sunderland at home against West Ham United on Saturday, August 16.
After training in the field of broadcast media, Siddarth, as a sub-editor for News18 Sports, currently dabbles in putting together stories, from across a plethora of sports, onto a digital canvas. His long-term…Read More
After training in the field of broadcast media, Siddarth, as a sub-editor for News18 Sports, currently dabbles in putting together stories, from across a plethora of sports, onto a digital canvas. His long-term… Read More
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