IF ANYONE CAN, XHAKA CAN

After helping Leverkusen win their first Bundesliga title, Granit Xhaka has been key in Sunderland's bid to become the first promoted side for three years to avoid an instant Championship return - he explains why Mikel Arteta saved his career

- Words Dan Godfrey

There's an aura of focused calmness about Granit Xhaka as he explains why he joined Sunderland in July. "I didn't expect to be back here in the Premier League," he admits, as he sits down to chat at the club's Academy of Light training base. "But I was done with my decision very quickly."

Four seasons ago, Xhaka faced the Black Cats when they were a League One club, in a mismatched Carabao Cup quarterfinal that Arsenal won 5-1. But fast-forward to November 2025, and the midfielder was helping Sunderland end his old club's 10-match winning streak, in a Premier League fixture that finished 2-2 at the Stadium of Light.

Even weeks before Xhaka's arrival at the club, the 33-year-old would have been considered an unthinkable signing for a side who hadn't played in the top flight since 2017. It wasn't a move that was on his radar, either, having brought seven seasons in England to an end in 2023 when he exited Arsenal for Bayer Leverkusen. He helped the Germans win the first Bundesliga title in their history and had no plans to ever return to these shores - until the Black Cats called.

"You're never sure it's going to be a success, it doesn't matter where you go," Xhaka says, explaining his thought process when he opted to move to the North East. "It's just about the feeling of the first conversations with the club and the coach. It was very positive."

The 143-cap Swiss international did his research. He not only spoke with owner and chairman Kyril Louis-Dreyfus, but also Lorik Cana, who represented the Black Cats between 2009 and 2010, plus another former Sunderland player in Jermain Defoe, an acquaintance from their time on a coaching course.