The homepage of the Premier League rookie team, Sunderland announced the completion of the contract with midfielder Granit Xhaka, former Arsenal captain from the Leverkusen Club.
“Sunderland AFC is pleased to announce the signing of a contract with the Xhaka Granite. The midfielder comes from Leverkusen with an unspecified transfer fee and signed a 3 -year contract at the Light Stadium,” Sunderland's homepage said.
Always showing the peak performance during the past decade, Xhaka had 225 appearances for Arsenal in the Premier League, and won two FA Cup titles, and also the captain of the Gunners.
A remarkable phase took place after he left Arsenal to Bayarena in 2023, when the unbeaten season broke Leverkusen's record witnessing the team led by coach Xabi Alonso to win a double Bundesliga championship for the first time and the second German National Cup.
Ranked 16th in the 2024 Golden Ball votes, Xhaka has been the captain of the Swiss team since 2020 and is the most record holder for the country with 137 caps. Xhaka was also honored as the best Swiss player in 2017, 2022, 2023, and a key member of the national team since 2011, participating in the World Cup FIFA 2014, 2018 and 2022.
“I am very proud to be here. When I talk to the club, I was very excited and felt the energy and spirit that everyone and the player had. That's exactly what I want, and I have a very good feeling. We have returned to the position that the club needs to achieve, and we want to stay here to write our own history. I need to find myself on the pitch, but I don't think this would be a big problem.
Kristjaan Speakman, the head coach of Sunderland talked about the new student: “We are very happy to welcome Granit and his family to Sunderland. His appearance is a clear testament to the ambition and the desire to build a team that fans can be proud in the Premier League. Absolutely suitable for the team's request.