Sunderland have already made a major decision involving Granit Xhaka following the former Arsenal captain’s return to English football.
Xhaka, who joined Sunderland from Bayer Leverkusen, made his debut for the Black Cats in the 1-0 defeat to Real Betis last weekend. The 32-year-old left the Emirates Stadium in the summer of 2023 – ending a seven-year stint in north London during which he captained the team and won the FA Cup and Community Shield twice each.
After a highly successful first year in Leverkusen – securing an unbeaten Bundesliga and German Cup double – it seemed that Xhaka’s Premier League chapter was firmly closed. However, reports emerged of a potential return when Sunderland made a surprising attempt to sign the experienced midfielder.
His agent, Jose Noguera, later confirmed that an agreement in principle had been reached with the Black Cats.
Following his debut in the friendly against Betis, a week later, Xhaka was given another start against Bundesliga side Augsburg and wore the captain’s armband.
Earlier in the week, Sunderland’s boss, Regis Le Bris, mentioned the possibility of Xhaka being their new captain.
“For me, it’s really easy to speak with him because he understands everything – but he is also really humble which for me is not a surprise but it always good to see at the best level a player still wants to learn and get better,” the French head coach said.
“His behaviour so far has been very impressive. We need maturity, level heads, consistency, experience – he brings everything. You can feel that for the others around him, it makes their life easier.
“For the Premier League it really helps to have two, three lads like that. He will probably be captain, yes.”
After making his debut, Xhaka took to Instagram to share some snaps from the match. “Grateful for my debut!” he wrote. “This is just the beginning – we will work hard, stay focussed and reach our goals together. Let’s go!”
Xhaka could face Arsenal for the first time in November, when the Gunners visit the Stadium of Light on Saturday, November 8.
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