Sunderland complete Xhaka signing

21 hours ago 1

Sunderland have completed the signing of former Arsenal captain Granit Xhaka from Bayer Leverkusen.

Sky Sports News understands the fee is in the region of £17m, costing Sunderland an initial £13m with up to £4m in add-ons.

Transfer Centre LIVE! | Sunderland news & transfers
Sky Sports to show 215 live PL games from next season
Not got Sky? Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW 📺

Sunderland agreed personal terms with the former Arsenal man last week and the 32-year-old has signed a three-year deal to add vital experience to the Black Cats' midfield.

The Premier League newcomers upped their total offer by £7m to get the deal done and was pictured alongside Sunderland owner Kyril Louis Dreyfus as he got off the plane in the North East to complete the move.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Watch exclusive shots of Granit Xhaka arriving in Sunderland ahead of his initial £13m move to the Black Cats

Xhaka made 33 Bundesliga appearances last season, scoring twice and setting up seven goals. Before joining Leverkusen he played 297 times for Arsenal, scoring 23 times and making 26 assists.

Sunderland have now spent £114m so far this summer on seven new signings.

Analysis: Xhaka signing boosts Sunderland's survival hopes

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Sky Sports News' North East reporter Keith Downie discusses Granit Xhaka's potential move to Sunderland, as the Black Cats agree a fee for the Bayer Leverkusen midfielder

Sky Sports' Sam Blitz:

For the promoted clubs, bringing in Premier League quality will be crucial to their survival. Sunderland signing Brighton winger Simon Adingra is a start, but Granit Xhaka is a stratospheric signing.

The Switzerland international had a mixed career at Arsenal but one key theme stood out: managers kept picking him.

Arsene Wenger and Mikel Arteta kept him as a key member of the team despite his countless red cards, with the current Arsenal manager even bringing him back from the cold after a major falling out with the club's supporters, which led to his captaincy being taken away by Unai Emery.

The main reason why is - despite the controversy Xhaka can bring - he is the metronome in every team he plays for.

His stability was vital to Bayer Leverkusen winning the league and cup double in his first season, while even last term - a more disappointing campaign in comparison - saw Xhaka show his worth.

Only Joshua Kimmich managed more passes in open play and final-third balls than Xhaka last term, while his pass accuracy of 90 per cent showed his reliability in possession.

Of course, Xhaka playing for a relegation-threatened Sunderland side will contrast very differently to the possession-heavy spells at Arsenal and Leverkusen.

But he was Arsenal captain and part of Leverkusen's leadership group. This is a signing that will give the Black Cats a huge survival boost.