Sunderland sign Granit Xhaka from Bayer Leverkusen: Decoding his stats
What's the story
Sunderland have signed former Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka from Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen. The Switzerland international has penned a three-year contract with the newly promoted Premier League side. The Black Cats will pay an initial fee of £13 million for the Swiss midfielder, with an additional potential fee of £4 million in add-ons. Here we decode the details and player's stats.
Career trajectory
'I'm very proud to be here'
Xhaka, who spent seven years at Arsenal before joining Leverkusen in 2023, will wear the number 34 shirt at Sunderland. "I'm very proud to be here," he said on his arrival. "When I spoke to the club, I was excited and I felt the energy, and the mentality that all the people and players have." He added that he is ready to help his new team with his experience and quality.
Stats
A look at Xhaka's stats at Arsenal
During his time at Arsenal, Xhaka made 297 appearances and won two FA Cups. He also briefly captained the side before leaving in 2023. He scored 23 goals for the Gunners in addition to making 29 assists. His best season was in 2022-23 as he chipped in with nine goals and seven assists from 49 games in all competitions. In the Premier League, he appeared in 225 games, scoring 17 times and making 24 assists.
Leverkusen
Xhaka made an impression for Leverkusen: Stats
Across two seasons, the midfielder made 99 appearances for Leverkusen, scoring six goals in all competitions. He also chipped in with nine assists. In his first season, he made 50 appearances, scoring four goals and making two assists. He won the Bundesliga title and the DFB-Pokal that season apart from being a runner-up in the Europa League. In 2024, he won the DFL-Supercup as well. Last season, he made 49 appearances and scored two goals (A7).
Bundesliga 2024-25
Breaking down his Bundesliga 2024-25 season in stats
Xhaka made 33 appearances for Leverkusen in the 2024-25 Bundesliga season. He scored two goals and clocked 7 assists. As per Squawka Comparison Matrix (data by Opta), Xhaka clocked 15 shots (excluding blocks) with three of them on target. He smashed the woodwork twice. He completed 85 lay-offs and registered 8 through balls. The veteran midfielder completed 7 take-ons and won 130 duels. He also had 15 touches in the opposition box.
Information
Xhaka played for FC Basel and Gladbach before joining Arsenal
Xhaka started his career with FC Basel. He scored twice in 61 matches. He moved to Gladbach next and spent four seasons in Germany. Xhaka notched 139 appearances for Gladbach and scored 8 goals. He also made six assists.