Granit Xhaka’s agent Jose Noguera has confirmed that the former Arsenal midfielder is close to securing a shock return to the Premier League after reaching an agreement in principle with newly-promoted side Sunderland.
Although Xhaka still has three years remaining on his Bayer Leverkusen contract, he has been linked with a return to the English top flight this summer. The Swiss international previously spent seven years at Arsenal, making 225 league appearances, scoring 17 goals and providing 24 assists before switching to the Bundesliga in 2023.
At Leverkusen, Xhaka played a key role in their historic unbeaten domestic campaign under erstwhile manager Xabi Alonso, helping the club secure a Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal double in 2023/2024.
Sunderland, keen to avoid an immediate return to the Championship, have been active in the transfer market and would gain valuable Premier League experience with Xhaka’s arrival.
“We’ve reached an agreement in principle with Sunderland,” Xhaka’s agent, Noguera, told Sky in Germany.
“Granit wants to return to the Premier League. Sunderland excites him – he wants to take on this challenge. We hope Leverkusen will respect his wish to leave and that the clubs will find an agreement soon.”
Bayer Leverkusen are now under the tutelage of former Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag, following the long anticipated departure of Alonso to Real Madrid at the end of last season.
Since his arrival at the Bay Arena back in 2023, Xhaka has been an absolutely crucial personnel in the middle of the park for Die Werkself. Whether Leverkusen will be open to cutting ties with such a crucial member of their squad at this critical period of transition remains to be seen.
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