Sunderland have accomplished the signing of former Arsenal captain Granit Xhaka from Bayer Leverkusen.
Sky Sports activities Information understands the payment is within the area of £17m, costing Sunderland an preliminary £13m with as much as £4m in add-ons.
Sunderland agreed private phrases with the previous Arsenal man final week and the 32-year-old has signed a three-year deal so as to add very important expertise to the Black Cats’ midfield.
The Premier League newcomers upped their whole provide by £7m to get the deal completed and was pictured alongside Sunderland proprietor Kyril Louis Dreyfus as he acquired off the aircraft within the North East to finish the transfer.
Xhaka made 33 Bundesliga appearances final season, scoring twice and organising seven targets. Earlier than becoming a member of Leverkusen he performed 297 instances for Arsenal, scoring 23 instances and making 26 assists.
Sunderland have now spent £114m thus far this summer time on seven new signings.
Evaluation: Xhaka signing boosts Sunderland’s survival hopes
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Sky Sports activities Information’ North East reporter Keith Downie discusses Granit Xhaka’s potential transfer to Sunderland, because the Black Cats agree a payment for the Bayer Leverkusen midfielder
Sky Sports activities’ Sam Blitz:
For the promoted golf equipment, bringing in Premier League high quality shall be essential to their survival. Sunderland signing Brighton winger Simon Adingra is a begin, however Granit Xhaka is a stratospheric signing.
The Switzerland worldwide had a blended profession at Arsenal however one key theme stood out: managers saved choosing him.
Arsene Wenger and Mikel Arteta saved him as a key member of the staff regardless of his numerous purple playing cards, with the present Arsenal supervisor even bringing him again from the chilly after a significant falling out with the membership’s supporters, which led to his captaincy being taken away by Unai Emery.
The principle motive why is – regardless of the controversy Xhaka can carry – he’s the metronome in each staff he performs for.
His stability was very important to Bayer Leverkusen profitable the league and cup double in his first season, whereas even final time period – a extra disappointing marketing campaign as compared – noticed Xhaka present his price.
Granit Xhaka’s key numbers final season
Solely Joshua Kimmich managed extra passes in open play and final-third balls than Xhaka final time period, whereas his go accuracy of 90 per cent confirmed his reliability in possession.
In fact, Xhaka enjoying for a relegation-threatened Sunderland aspect will distinction very in another way to the possession-heavy spells at Arsenal and Leverkusen.
However he was Arsenal captain and a part of Leverkusen’s management group. This can be a signing that may give the Black Cats an enormous survival increase.
In
Simon Adingra – Brighton, £20.5m
Habib Diarra – Strasbourg, £30m
Enzo Le Payment – Roma, £20m
Granit Xhaka – Bayer Leverkusen, £17m
Noah Sadiki – Union Saint-Gilloise, £17.5m
Reinildo Mandava – Atletico Madrid, free
Chemsdine Talbi – Membership Brugge, £19m
Out
Tommy Watson – Brighton, £10m
Jobe Bellingham – Borussia Dortmund, £32m
Nathan Bishop – AFC Wimbledon, undisclosed
Adil Aouchiche – Aberdeen, mortgage
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