Can Sunderland’s €20 million signing of Granit Xhaka bring the team to new heights?
Sunderland's bold transfer step may end up proving to be the most impactful.
Part of Sunderland’s newly promoted plans for life back in the Premier League has been to bolster their squad with summer transfers. This is a natural step for teams to take in an attempt to bridge the gulf in quality between the Premier League and the Championship.
While the Black Cats have been very busy in this department, the most eye-catching of their transfer deals hasn’t been their most expensive. Sunderland’s €20 capture of former Arsenal captain and Switzerland international Granit Xhaka from Bayer Leverkusen may, however, end up being the most impactful.
The transfer is a bold move by Sunderland, as it took their summer spending past the €100 million mark and is a bit of a financial gamble. Given his age, there will be little resale value in the 32-year-old at the end of his contract, as he put pen to paper on a three-year deal at the Stadium of Light.
The Fee
Sunderland paid around €15 million up front for Xhaka, with a further €5 million in performance-related add-ons to follow. It’s not a heavy investment in this day and age, but the Black Cats haven’t signed him with a nod to the long-term, and the money paid for him could be a fantastic loss leader. Given Xhaka’s experience, the transfer could have a brilliant risk vs reward outcome if he plays a major role in keeping them in the top flight.
Experience Matters
The experience Xhaka brings to the Black Cats’ midfield can’t be overstated. Xhaka has a strong reputation for being a leader and will be expected to play a big role in the dressing room in terms of raising standards, as well as his direction and organisational skills on the pitch.
Just two seasons ago, Xhaka played a major role in Bayer Leverkusen's astonishing unbeaten domestic double campaign. He was at the heart of the team right the way through until the Europa League Final, when Leverkusen lost their first and only game of the season, going down against Atalanta. That’s the kind of elite-level experience the Black Cats are going to be banking on.
Still Got It
Xhaka produced some fantastic numbers for Bayer Leverkusen last season. He was third among all players in the division for completed passes and progressive passes, and the fifth-best player for assists.
There are times during his career when Xhaka has been labelled as something of an enforcer, a bruising, physical midfielder who can disrupt the flow of a game. But in recent seasons, he has consistently been a tremendous, forward-thinking player on the ball.
His aggression is not about being confrontational or throwing himself into dangerous tackles; it’s about a player who isn’t afraid to progress the game forward by getting into an advanced position.
Where He Fits?
But will the Black Cats get the best out of Xhaka’s attacking capabilities? Sunderland are one of the favourites in Premier League relegation betting to suffer a drop back down to the Championship. That’s the norm for newly promoted clubs, but survival is possible.
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Xhaka still has a great engine, and along with being ever-present with Bayer Leverkusen last year, he came home in 16th place in the 2024 Ballon d’Or voting. But his role on Wearside could change, as the Black Cats may be tempted to use him in a deeper role than he was used to at Bayer Leverkusen.
Leverkusen were possession-beasts, and that’s not something the Black Cats are going to be in the Premier League. So instead of using Xhaka to convert from an advanced midfield position, he may be tasked with a more dual role of breaking up play and launching quick counterattacks by getting the ball wide or firing direct balls up front.
Passing and Control
New teams coming up to the top flight often struggle to get enough of the ball to do damage to other teams. This is where Xhaka could be a real asset for them in the upcoming campaign, because he is not only very good at breaking up play, but he’s comfortable on the ball.
Last season, Xhaka appeared 33 times for Bayer Leverkusen in the German Bundesliga and made another 10 appearances in the Europa League. He closed out the season finishing in the top 3% across Europe’s big five leagues for completed passes.
Better than that, however, was the positive nature of his passes, as Xhaka was in the top 1% of players in Europe’s big five leagues for making passes into the final third of the pitch. So, among the flurry of Premier League transfers, this could be one of the best value ones made this summer.
Interested in details? Here are Xhaka’s 2024/25 key passing stats*:
Top 1% for passes made into the final third of the pitch
Top 4% of passes that lead to a shot at goal
Top 3% for passes that were “progressive”
Top 7% for carries
*From Fbref
Breaking the Mould
Xhaka’s signing breaks the common mould of Sunderland’s general transfer model, as they tend to lean towards younger players who can be developed and eventually sold on. Xhaka is ultimately going to be a sunken cost for the Black Cats, but he brings that precious top-level experience. He could still be playing at a top-six club in any of the big five European leagues, as his numbers from last season with Leverkusen prove.
Xhaka missed out on the chance to play in the Club World Cup this summer, which was won by Chelsea, who had a nice problem of picking between Joao Pedro, Nicolas Jackson, and Liam Delap up front for the final against PSG. Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund took the two Bundesliga slots in the expanded tournament, which was probably a blessing for Sunderland as they got a fresher, well-rested Xhaka for the new season.
The Man of Steel
Sunderland boss Régis Le Bris hasn’t brought Xhaka in to sit on the bench and give motivation from the sidelines and on the training pitch. He’s going to use him heavily. Xhaka is there to add steel to the midfield, and the Premier League is a proven stomping ground for him.
The move is part of a very ambitious-looking strategy from owner Kyril Louis-Dreyfus, who has also seen other talents Habib Diarra (€31.50m), Enzo Le Fee (€23.00m), Simon Adingra (€24.00m), Chemsdine Talbi (€20.00m), and Noah Sadiki (€17.00m) arrive on Wearside.