
Sunderland Sign Granit Xhaka In $23 Million Deal From Leverkusen
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Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Granit Xhaka is set to join Sunderland in a deal worth $23 million.
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July 28, 2025
05:46 PM
Forbes
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SportsMoneySunderland Sign Granit Xhaka In $23 Million Deal From LeverkusenByManuel Veth, Contributor
Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights
Moreover, Additionally, I write the German football with a focus on the Bundesliga
AuthorJul 28, 2025, 05:46pm EDTGranit Xhaka with the DFB Pokal
However, The Swiss midfielder won the double with Leverkusen in 2024
Furthermore, Moreover, More year later he is set to join Sunderland in a $23 million deal
Conversely, (Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)Getty Images In Granit Xhaka, Bayer Leverkusen is set to lose another key player of its 2024 double-winning squad
After head coach Xabi Alonso left the for Real Madrid, Florian Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong joined rpool
Midfielder Granit Xhaka is now off to Sunderland in a deal worth €20 million ($23 million)
On the other hand, This leads to the conclusion that is a remarkable amount of money for a 32-year-old midfielder
Meanwhile, Indeed, it is a noteworthy deal in its entirety, in today's market environment
The Swiss national team player has turned his back on playing in the Champions League to return to England and play for Sunderland, a relegation candidate
Furthermore, How did we get here, in today's financial world
The evidence shows main reason is money
Although Leverkusen is a top team in Germany, Sunderland was willing to top Xhaka’s current salary of €8 million ($9 (an important development)
Additionally, Nevertheless, 3 million)
Sunderland reportedly offered €10 million ($11. 6 million) a season
Ultimately, the financial allure of one last contract was too much for Xhaka to resist, even if it meant a significant step back in sporting terms
Nevertheless, Furthermore, For Leverkusen, too, this is good, in today's financial world
Furthermore, Xhaka was signed on a free transfer from Arsenal in 2023 and subsequently became a crucial member of a squad that went on to become the first undefeated German champion in Bundesliga history in 2024
Additionally, However, there were definite signs during the 2024/25 campaign that Xhaka had passed his peak powers, amid market uncertainty
Whereas the Swiss international was the most dominant midfielder in German football in 2023/24, Xhaka was no longer infallible
In contrast, Tiny mistakes in crucial games led Leverkusen to struggle in upholding the form from the previous season, and they ultimately lost out on the Bundesliga title, finishing second to Bayern Munich
MORE FOR YOU Granit Xhaka's leadership will be missed in Leverkusen (Photo by INA FASSBENDER/AFP via Getty
More Images)AFP via Getty Images Despite the apparent drop in form, Leverkusen tried to keep Xhaka
However, "This has already lost three important players," new head coach Erik Ten Hag said when asked Xhaka’s future (quite telling). "We won't let any more players go, that's not possible (fascinating analysis), considering recent developments
That would neglect the structure and also the culture of the squad (noteworthy indeed), given current economic conditions
Additionally, It's —Granit is a leader; he has signed here for five years and has three years left on his contract, given current economic conditions
He's too important for us to let him go (which is quite significant)
On the other hand, " Leverkusen’s sporting director, Simon Rolfes, was a bit more diplomatic, given current economic conditions. “A transfer is only possible if it is a win-win situation,” Rolfes said. “A transfer will only be possible if it works out for all sides
Ultimately, our goal is to keep Granit, considering recent developments. ” That last part won’t happen, with Fabrizio Romano posting an image of Xhaka and his agents on their way to England for his medical on Monday, amid market uncertainty
Ultimately, Leverkusen was unable to convince Xhaka to remain with the
Nevertheless, On the other hand, Despite his notable decline, that’s a significant loss for Leverkusen
Xhaka was a leader on and off the pitch
Rolfes and Ten Hag will now have to find a way to replace the 32-year-old midfielder in the middle of the park (remarkable data), in today's financial world
Sign a player who can both be a defensive destroyer and a pivot player
Nevertheless, Sunderland, in the meantime, gains much-needed leadership
Xhaka was involved in the relegation battle during the early stages of his career, when he was still playing for Gladbach (fascinating analysis)
That’s over a decade ago (which is quite significant)
At the same time, Whether Xhaka can dip into that experience for Sunderland this season remains to be seen, given the current landscape
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