Granit Xhaka is closing in on a surprising Premier League comeback, with the Swiss midfielder reaching an agreement with the newly-promoted Sunderland.
Xhaka spent seven years with Arsenal and represented the club almost 300 times before he jumped ship and joined Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen in 2023.
The combative midfielder has since enjoyed a fruitful couple of years in Germany, playing a major role in Leverkusen’s unbeaten 2023–24 season. However, it’s been a summer of change for Die Werkself, with Alonso succeeding Carlo Ancelotti as Real Madrid manager and Leverkusen appointing former Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag as his replacement.
Florian Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong are among the high-profile stars of Alonso’s reign to move on, and Xhaka could be next to exit the German club.
The 32-year-old has attracted interest from Saudi Pro League clubs and Italian giants Milan, but the player’s agent, Jose Noguera, has said Xhaka is most enamoured by Sunderland’s proposal. Régis Le Bris guided the Black Cats back to the Premier League for the first time since 2017 after winning the Championship playoff final in May.
“We have reached a basic agreement with Sunderland," Noguera told Sky Sports Austria. "Granit wants to return to the Premier League. Sunderland appeals to him, and he wants to take on this challenge.”
The Black Cats have been incredibly busy in the transfer market following their promotion, and are currently the sixth-highest spenders among Premier League clubs. They’ve already bolstered their midfield by adding Habib Diarra and Noah Sadiki to complement the permanent signing of Enzo Le Fée.
After striking a deal with Xhaka, they’ve now got to agree on a fee with Leverkusen, given that the midfielder’s contract with the German club doesn’t expire until 2028.
“We hope that Leverkusen will agree to his request to move and that the clubs will reach an agreement soon,” Noguera added.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Granit Xhaka’s Agent Confirms Premier League Return Agreement.