Sunderland agree deal to sign Granit Xhaka from Bayer Leverkusen
Baku, July 28, AZERTAC
Sunderland have agreed a fee with Bayer Leverkusen for Granit Xhaka, according to Sky Sports.
The fee is in the region of £17m, costing Sunderland an initial £13m with up to £4m in add-ons.
Sunderland agreed personal terms with the former Arsenal man last week and the 32-year-old will sign a three-year deal and give vital experience to the Mackems' midfield.
Sunderland upped their total offer by £7m to get the deal done and Xhaka has been given permission to travel to the UK to undergo a medical.
For the promoted clubs, bringing in Premier League quality will be crucial to their survival. Sunderland signing Brighton winger Simon Adingra is a start, but Granit Xhaka would be a stratospheric signing.
The Switzerland international had a mixed career at Arsenal but one key theme stood out - managers kept picking him.
Arsene Wenger and Mikel Arteta kept him as a key member of the team despite his countless red cards, with the current Arsenal manager even bringing him back from the cold after a major falling out with the club's supporters, which led to his captaincy being taken away by Unai Emery.
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