Ex-Arsenal midfielder "reaches agreement" to join newly-promoted Premier League side
A former Arsenal midfielder is closing in on a Premier League return - just two years after leaving the Gunners.
Granit Xhaka has reportedly reached an agreement to join Sunderland this summer, with the 32-year-old telling his current club Bayer Leverkusen that he wants a deal to be completed in earnest.
Personal terms with the 32-year-old have been nailed down, and it’s now a case of sorting out the paperwork with Leverkusen, with an expected transfer fee of around £8.7m.
Xhaka, who still has three years left on his deal in Germany, looks set to be the next exit from Leverkusen. New manager Erik ten Hag has already lost Florian Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong to Liverpool this summer.
Speaking to Sky Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg, Xhaka’s agent Jose Noguera said: “We’ve reached an agreement in principle with Sunderland. Granit wants to return to the Premier League.
“Sunderland excites him – he wants to take on this challenge. We hope Leverkusen will respect his wish to leave and that the clubs will find an agreement soon.”
If completed, the move would mark Xhaka’s return to English football two years after leaving Arsenal. He made 225 Premier League appearances for the Gunners, scoring 17 goals and providing 24 assists.
A seasoned international, Xhaka also has 137 caps for Switzerland.