Officially.. Sunderland announces the signing of Xhaka

Sunderland AFC has announced its signing of Swiss star Granit Xhaka from Bayer Leverkusen, on a contract that extends for three years, until the summer of 2027, with the deal to be finalized after receiving official international approval.

The deal cost Sunderland's coffers £13 million plus £4 million in add-ons.

Xhaka is considered one of the top midfield players in Europe over the last decade, having played 225 matches in the Premier League with Arsenal, where he won the FA Cup twice and captained the team for several seasons.

Xhaka moved to Bayer Leverkusen in the summer of 2023, where he played a pivotal role in a historic season that saw the team win the Bundesliga title for the first time in its history, the DFB-Pokal, and finish the season without any domestic losses.

The player ranked 16th in the 2024 Ballon d'Or voting and has been the historic captain of the Swiss national team since 2020, representing them in 137 matches.

Xhaka said in his first statement after signing: "I am very proud to join Sunderland. I felt excitement and energy when I spoke with the club, and this is exactly what I was looking for. We are now in the place this club deserves, and we want to write our own history."

Xhaka began his career with Concordia Basel before joining Basel at the age of ten, quickly catching attention with his performances in the Champions League and the Swiss league.

His career has seen notable stops at Borussia Mönchengladbach, then Arsenal, and finally Bayer Leverkusen, where he achieved both collective and individual titles, including Swiss Player of the Year in 2017, 2022, and 2023.