Granit Xhaka to Sunderland? The transfer that could change everything – and why fans are SO excited! - video Dailymotion

Sunderland Echo

Sunderland are edging closer to a monumental transfer coup in Granit Xhaka, and in today’s Red & White Round-Up, we break down exactly what the deal would mean for the Black Cats, the fanbase, and the Premier League newcomers.  From Champions League pedigree to Premier League experience, this episode dives into the ripple effect Xhaka’s potential arrival could have – on transfers, leadership, and Sunderland’s wider ambitions.  👀 Could this be Sunderland’s Stefan Schwarz moment all over again? 📈 How might Xhaka’s signing impact future deals and squad morale? ⚽ Why this feels like more than just a marquee signing…  📌 Subscribe for more exclusive SAFC updates and insight from the Sunderland Echo team.  💬 Don’t forget to drop your thoughts in the comments – is Xhaka the final piece of the puzzle in midfield?

Transcript

00:00As Sunderland edged closer to what once felt unthinkable, the signing of Granit Xhaka from

00:05Bayer Leverkusen, the excitement on Wearside is about so much more than just landing a top-class

00:11footballer. This isn't just a potential signing, it's a potential statement, a potential moment,

00:16a potential shift in how Sunderland is viewed by its fans, by rival clubs and perhaps most

00:23importantly by players around Europe. Xhaka's CV, it really speaks for itself, is a Champions

00:28League midfielder, an Invincibles title winner in Germany with Bayer Leverkusen, more than

00:33220 Premier League appearances for Arsenal, 137 caps internationally for Switzerland and

00:41a story that resonates around the world from being booed off the pitch at Arsenal to becoming

00:47a respected leader once more. Now let's be clear, this deal isn't done yet, it's still

00:54got a little way to go. Sunderland and Bayer Leverkusen still need to agree terms, but the

00:59player wants it. And fans, well, were probably already dreaming of scarf pictures, were probably

01:04already dreaming of sightings near Jackie White's market. But why is this deal called the imagination?

01:10I don't think this is just about adding experience, it's about changing the perception of Sunderland.

01:14The knock-on effect of this transfer could be huge. Take the two centre-backs that Sunderland are

01:19targeting this summer, who are top talents in their own right. They might just look at

01:23Sunderland now and believe that it is a really, really serious project. Attract a name like

01:29Granit Xhaka and suddenly you're not fighting to survive in the Premier League, you are aiming

01:34to thrive. And for young players like Chris Rigg and Sunderland's recent wave of international

01:40signings like Noah Siddiqui, Xhaka would be the ultimate role model really. A player who came

01:46back from adversity, who reset his reputation and led by example really, in dressing rooms

01:52full of expectations. Sunderland fans have long wanted this type of move, but how many

01:58thought we would actually see it? We're only three years removed from League One. I think

02:04five or six years ago we signed George Dobson and now we're potentially signing Granit Xhaka.

02:10It's the type of leap that few clubs make and Sunderland are quietly doing it. This club

02:17has come from the very, very bottom. We slipped to 15th in League One under Phil Parkinson. We've

02:23since been taken over, we've rebuilt with a plan through youth, through data, through smart

02:27recruitment and now we're in the Premier League with the elite. I think to even be in for

02:33a player who starred in Leverkusen's unbeaten Bundesliga campaign, historic unbeaten Bundesliga

02:39campaign, that's not just progress, that's transformation. At 32, I still believe he's

02:45got a lot left in the tank and is probably a better option than Jordan Henderson, who,

02:52brilliant player and all respect to him, he is 35. But Granit Xhaka does have some miles

02:59left in the tank. He's a talisman in midfield. He could become a leader in red and right.

03:04He could become the heartbeat of the team pushing up the Premier League table. It's a lofty idea,

03:09but dare to dream, isn't that the point of football? He could become Sunderland's next

03:14Stefan Schwartz or Lorik Sarner. But, you know, we've dreamed of days and transfer links like

03:20this, of Sunderland signing somebody who has, you know, global pedigree, somebody who's done

03:26it all but still has more to give and somebody who can guide this team through the brutal reality

03:31of Premier League football. I think whatever Granit Xhaka costs, transfer fee, wages, the lot,

03:38it'll be worth it because this isn't about just stats. Obviously, that plays a big part,

03:42but I think it's about status as well. And if Sunderland can pull this off, I think it signals

03:47that although they're back in the Premier League, they are coming back to stay and compete.

03:54Thanks for watching. As I say, this deal is not done yet and it has a long way to run,

04:00it feels, but it is hugely exciting. Please head over to the Sunderland Echo website for

04:06all of the latest news. Take care and we'll see you next time.

Granit Xhaka to Sunderland? The transfer that could change everything – and why fans are SO excited!

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