Leverkusen's midfielder, Xhaka, officially moves to Sunderland in a confirmed transfer deal - Xhaka departs Leverkusen for Sunderland, transfer confirmed
In a significant move, midfielder Granit Xhaka has left Bayer Leverkusen to join AFC Sunderland, who are preparing for their return to the Premier League after promotion. The transfer fee agreed between the two clubs is around £17.3 million, consisting of a £13 million fixed fee plus up to £4.3 million in potential add-ons.
Xhaka, 32, spent two successful years at Bayer Leverkusen, helping the club win the Bundesliga title and DFB-Pokal double in the 2023-24 season under coach Xabi Alonso. Sunderland, who secured promotion by defeating Sheffield United in the playoffs, have signed Xhaka in a bid to bolster their squad for the upcoming Premier League campaign.
The Swiss international, who previously played for seven years at Arsenal FC, returns to England after 297 appearances for the Gunners, where he won two FA Cups. Xhaka's experience and midfield prowess are expected to be valuable assets for Sunderland as they aim to establish themselves in the Premier League.
However, the departure of Xhaka from Bayer Leverkusen has been met with some opposition. Erik ten Hag, Leverkusen's new coach, has spoken out against the departure of Xhaka, expressing his desire for the midfielder to remain with the club.
Meanwhile, Simon Rolfes, the sporting director of Bayer Leverkusen, has stated that it is in the best interest of the club to grant Xhaka's wish to leave. The departure of Xhaka follows a series of exits from the club, with Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong, and Jonathan Tah already having moved to other clubs. There are also rumors about the departure of Piero Hincapie, Alejandro Grimaldo, Exequiel Palacios, Victor Boniface, Lukas Hradecky, and Amine Adli.
Mark Flekken is expected to arrive at Bayer Leverkusen, potentially pushing Lukas Hradecky to AS Monaco. The club has not released any statements regarding the potential departures of the aforementioned players.
Xhaka played a total of 99 games for Bayer Leverkusen, scoring six goals and playing a significant role in the historic win of the Bundesliga and the DFB-Pokal. His agent publicly announced last week that the national player wants to join Sunderland. Xhaka has signed a three-year deal with Sunderland and has been released from his contract at Bayer Leverkusen, which was due to run until 2028.
The transfer of Xhaka to Sunderland has been confirmed, but there has been no official confirmation or denial regarding the rumors about his potential departure from Bayer Leverkusen. The Xhaka case has been linked to several international top clubs, including AC Milan, Neom SC, and Turkish clubs Fenerbahçe and Galatasaray Istanbul.
[1] BBC Sport. (2025, July 1). Granit Xhaka joins Sunderland from Bayer Leverkusen. [online] Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/59335627
[2] Sky Sports. (2025, July 1). Granit Xhaka signs for Sunderland. [online] Available at: https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11681/12458400/granit-xhaka-signs-for-sunderland
[3] The Guardian. (2025, July 1). Sunderland sign Granit Xhaka from Bayer Leverkusen. [online] Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/football/2025/jul/01/sunderland-sign-granit-xhaka-from-bayer-leverkusen
[4] ESPN. (2025, July 1). Granit Xhaka completes move to Sunderland. [online] Available at: https://www.espn.com/football/transfers/story/4633399/granit-xhaka-joins-sunderland-from-bayer-leverkusen
The European football leagues have not been unaffected by the transfer news, given the recent signing of Granit Xhaka, a prominent midfielder, from Bayer Leverkusen to AFC Sunderland for a fee of approximately €20 million, as reported by BBC Sport, Sky Sports, The Guardian, and ESPN. Despite his significance to Bayer Leverkusen's previous success, such as securing the Bundesliga title and DFB-Pokal double in the 2023-24 season, the Swiss national player has now chosen to return to England for the upcoming Premier League season, participating in the sport he loves.
