Sunderland close in on former Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka
The PA news agency understands the Black Cats have agreed personal terms with the 32-year-old former Arsenal skipper and are attempting to thrash out a fee with Erik ten Hag's Bundesliga club.
Switzerland international Xhaka, who began his career at Basel before heading for Borussia Monchengladbach, spent seven years with the Gunners and is well acquainted with England's top flight.
Granit Xhaka won two FA Cups during his seven-year stay at Arsenal (Adam Davy/PA)
He joined Arsenal in a £35million switch from Monchengladbach during the summer of 2016 and made 297 appearances for the club, winning two FA Cups, before returning to Germany with Leverkusen in July 2023.
Xhaka, who has been caped 137 times by his country, won the league title at the end of his first season and made 49 appearances in all competitions, 10 of them in the Champions League, during the last campaign.
A combative player, Xhaka was stripped of the Arsenal captaincy in November 2019 after a heated exchange with home fans at the Emirates Stadium.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Irish Sun
20 minutes ago
- The Irish Sun
Yoane Wissa ‘tells Brentford he will NEVER play for them again' as Newcastle consider Nicolas Jackson instead
YOANE WISSA has told Brentford chiefs that he will never play for the club again amid interest from Newcastle, according to reports. And it's claimed that if the Bees continue to play hard ball, the Toon could move on to Advertisement 6 Yoane Wissa wants to quit Brentford this summer Credit: Getty 6 Nicolas Jackson has emerged as a target for Newcastle Credit: Getty Wissa, 28, has received serious interest from While the DR Congo international has also attracted strong interest from Wissa Advertisement READ MORE IN FOOTBALL According to the Mail's Wissa reportedly feels that he was promised a move this summer and is unhappy that Brentford have reneged on such an agreement. The 19-goal striker is desperate to play in the Champions League and feels that he may not get such an opportunity again. Brentford are eager to hold on to Wissa, having already lost boss Thomas Frank and several members of the Dane's coaching staff to Tottenham, as well as Bryan Mbeumo to Manchester United. Advertisement Most read in Football Breaking BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK 6 Eddie Howe is eager to recruit at least one new striker this summer Credit: PA 6 Newcastle are assessing several forward options, amid the bombshell revelation earlier this week that Advertisement Dan Burn and Bruno Guimaraes discuss Alexander Isak's future after Newcastle star's transfer bombshell But with In addition to Sesko, the The 24-year-old has scored 30 goals in 81 appearances for the Blues across the last two seasons, but could be made available for the right price this summer. Advertisement Newcastle could While In addition to Wissa, Sesko and Jackson, Ollie Watkins is admired by Newcastle. Aston Villa aren't thought to be keen on selling the England international this summer, but it remains to be seen whether a big-money bid could change their stance. Advertisement 6 6
The Irish Sun
20 minutes ago
- The Irish Sun
Man Utd hijack Brentford bid for wonderkid just days after snaring £71m Bryan Mbeumo from Premier League rivals
BRENTFORD face a transfer battle with Manchester United over whizkid Idrissa Gueye. The Bees are reeling from 2 Idrissa Gueye celebrates scoring his first goal for Metz just days after arriving Credit: Alamy 2 Gueye could act as the perfect replacement for wantaway Yoane Wissa Credit: AFP summer — but new boss Keith Andrews feels he can put one over United chief Ruben Amorim by landing Senegalese kid Gueye. Andrews wants to snap up the Metz forward, 18, but thought Brentford had only Southampton to beat for his signature. Yet United and And the fierce competition has forced Bees chief to now look at matching his French club's £15m asking price. READ MORE ON FOOTBALL Brentford can offer Gueye a chance at early Premier League football , while United only see him as a long-term project. The Clarets are late to the chase but remain realistic candidates as they too could offer a quicker route to first-team football. The teenager only joined Ligue 2 Metz from Senegalese club Génération Foot in January, making his debut in a goalless draw with Lorient. He scored his first goal in a 3-1 win over Paris FC just days after arriving, but saw his special occasion end in A&E. Most read in Sport Gueye collided with an opponent and was rushed to hospital with damage to his teeth . Gueye was also part of the Senegal squad that handed Thomas Tuchel his After an early Harry Kane opener, the African side turned the game around to secure a historic 3-1 win at the City Ground, though Gueye was an unused substitute. Man Utd hunting Jackson as Chelsea's demands revealed | Transfers Exposed
RTÉ News
an hour ago
- RTÉ News
Arsenal complete signing of Viktor Gyokeres from Sporting Lisbon
Arsenal have finally solved their striker conundrum by completing the £55million (€62.9m) signing of Viktor Gyokeres from Sporting Lisbon. The 27-year-old Sweden international, who fired Sporting to the title last season with 39 goals and netted a Champions League hat-trick against Manchester City, is understood to have signed a five-year deal at the Emirates. Gyokeres' transfer, which could end up costing the north London club as much as £64m with performance-related add-ons, takes Arsenal's close-season spending to the region of £200m. He becomes Mikel Arteta's sixth summer signing and follows defender Cristhian Mosquera, midfielder Martin Zubimendi, goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga, midfielder Christian Norgaard and forward Noni Madueke in moving to the Emirates. Arsenal confirmed the news with a brief post on X which read: "This is where you need to be. Viktor Gyokeres is a Gunner." Gyokeres will be expected to meet up with his new team-mates in Arsenal's ongoing pre-season tour of Singapore and Hong Kong. The Gunners face Newcastle in the Singapore National Stadium on Sunday ahead of the concluding game of their tour, against Tottenham in Hong Kong on July 31. Gyokeres moved to Brighton from Swedish side Brommapojkarna in January 2018, but spent time on loan at St Pauli and then Swansea and Coventry, before making a permanent move to the Sky Blues in July 2021. After Coventry were beaten on penalties by Luton in the 2023 Sky Bet Championship final at Wembley, Gyokeres completed a £20.5m switch to Sporting. He scored a remarkable 97 goals in 102 matches for the Portuguese side. Arsenal spent the concluding months of last season without a recognised striker following long-term injuries to Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz. Even before then, Arsenal were in desperate need of a reliable scorer, and Arteta will hope his new signing can fire him to his first silverware since he won the FA Cup in 2020, and end the club's two-decade wait for a Premier League title. Arsenal's new sporting director, Andrea Berta has wasted little time in strengthening a squad which has finished runners-up in the league for the past three seasons. Gabriel and Myles Lewis-Skelly have also put pen to paper on new contracts in the off-season, with a long-term extension for teenager Ethan Nwaneri believed to be all-but completed.
