Granit Xhaka, a 32-year-old midfielder from Bundesliga team Bayer Leverkusen, has officially joined Sunderland. The former Arsenal player inked a three-year deal with the Stadium of Light locals, the Black Cats said. When he negotiated with Sunderland, Xhaka said he felt "the energy, and the mentality that all the people and players have." He also said he was "very proud" to have signed with the team. "It's exactly what I wanted," the seasoned midfield player continued.
According to reports a few weeks back, Xhaka had turned down the chance to join AC Milan, a Serie A team. According to some reports, the Swiss had already made a deal with NEOM SC, a Saudi Pro League team. According to Fabrizio Romano, Sunderland paid €20m to the German club (around £17m) - a figure much higher than the initially reported offer of €10m.