Sunderland have signed former Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka as they continue to prepare for life in the Premier League.
Xhaka, 32, joins for a fee reported to be in the region of £17 million ($22.7m), returning to England after a two successful years at Bayer Leverkusen
The Switzerland captain helped the club to an unprecedented unbeaten Bundesliga title and DFB-Pokal double in 2023-24 as Xabi Alonso’s team stunned their rivals in Germany.
“I’m very proud to be here,” Xhaka said. “When I spoke to the club, I was excited and I felt the energy, and the mentality that all the people and players have. It’s exactly what I wanted, and I have a very good feeling.
“We are back to where this club needs to be, and we want to stay here to write our own history. I feel that I’m ready to help the team with my experience but with quality as well.
“We need to find ourselves on the pitch, but I don’t think this will be a big problem. It’s been a long time to wait, but I’m here now and I’m looking forward to it.”
Sunderland are embarking on their first Premier League campaign since their relegation in 2016-17. They booked their top-flight return by beating Sheffield United 2-1 in the playoff final in May.
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Xhaka made 297 appearances in all competitions for Arsenal, who he also captained, winning two FA Cups.
“His arrival is a significant endorsement of our ambition and our desire to build a team our supporters can be proud of in the Premier League,” Sunderland sporting director Kristjaan Speakman said.
“His accomplishments and quality need little introduction — he’s a player of the highest calibre on and off the field, who we feel is the perfect match to the profile required in our team.”
