Sunderland are days away from clashing with Sevilla in a pre-season friendly match that will show what Regis Le Bris’ camp are made of ahead of moving up to the Premier League, with the Spanish titans no pushovers.
A 4-0 victory was picked up against South Shields to get the run of pre-season fixtures kick-started convincingly. Yet, Sevilla and then a trip to face off against Sporting will be far tougher tests, as the whole barrage of new Black Cats signings get up to speed with what is expected of them in their fresh environment.
One player that won’t be linking up with Le Bris and Co. anytime soon is Jordan Henderson, with all the rumours surfacing of the ex-Liverpool midfielder wanting to return to his boyhood club falling to the wayside when his move to Brentford was recently confirmed.
This doesn’t mean Sunderland won’t be chasing after more Premier League-experienced bodies, however, as another former top-flight regular is eyed up.
Sunderland make contact with £17m star
Aaron Ramsdale has regularly been linked with a switch to the Stadium of Light this summer, with Le Bris perhaps wary about Anthony Patterson’s goalkeeping credentials moving up to such a taxing division.
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On top of that, there does need to be some more Premier League prowess present when reviewing their whirlwind transfer activity to date, with all of the signings entering the Black Cats camp so far primarily coming from far-off European leagues, minus Simon Adingra moving to Wearside from Brighton and Hove Albion.
That’s where Granit Xhaka could come in and be a standout purchase for the newly promoted side.
Reports from Sky Sports earlier this week revealed that the Mackems were interested and exploring a move for the Swiss midfielder but an update has since emerged.
Indeed, according to German outlet BILD, Sunderland have contacted Bayer Leverkusen regarding a £17m deal for the ex-Arsenal battler, although they are yet to formally submit their first offer.
The Black Cats were facing competition for his signature from Saudi club Neom but they have now been ruled out of the race after refusing to submit a bid of more than £7m.
Why Xhaka is a far better signing than Henderson
Away from his Premier League experience with the Gunners, Xhaka has managed to forge a far more successful career post the English game when weighed up next to a declining Henderson, meaning he should be able to return to the high-pressure scenarios ahead of him reinvigorated and ready to go.
Indeed, it only took the Switzerland international one season in the Bundesliga to lift the German top-flight title, with the 6-foot-1 enforcer very much playing his part in the success story under Xabi Alonso by notching up 50 games and tallying up six goal contributions.
Last season saw his game be elevated even more at the BayArena with seven assists next to his name from 33 Bundesliga clashes, meaning he should be able to slot back into the Premier League with ease, knowing he’s still at the top of his game, despite being 32 years of age.
Henderson, on the other hand, hasn’t quite aged like a fine wine in contrast. The 35-year-old veteran only picked up five assists in all competitions last season, next to Xhaka’s far sturdier amount.
Moreover, only 2.3 duels were won on average per Eredivisie clash last season for Ajax by the former Reds captain, with Xhaka winning a more forceful 3.9 at Leverkusen to do his bit for the cause. It’s hardly a surprise he’s been described as a midfield “monster” in the past, notably by Arsenal writer Connor Humm.
Games played
225
Goals scored
17
Assists
24
Completed passes
14,865 (88%)
Tackles
368
Duels won
1,001
Away from regaining his confidence out in Germany after a topsy-turvy stay at the Emirates, Xhaka is also well-versed in what it takes to be a fiery and combative option in the demanding English top-flight, even if his career at Arsenal was sometimes bumpy.
When looking at the table above, it’s clear that the 32-year-old would be a valuable addition as a well-rounded option centrally, with a standout 17 goals and 24 assists coming his way in North London, on top of a mighty 1001 duels being won in total across his 225-game span in the top league. Henderson would win 1337, in contrast, but he did have the added boost of 431 appearances on his side.
Hailed as a “leader” by German football expert Raphael Honigstein for what he has given Leverkusen, on top of also possessing the necessary quality to be a success in England, it does feel as if landing Xhaka would be the perfect pick-up to offer both quality and experience to Sunderland’s survival mission.
If he were to join the Black Cats ranks shortly, Henderson would just be put to one side as an afterthought.
More exciting than Xhaka: Sunderland make contact to sign £34m star on loan
Sunderland could seal a deal even more exciting than Granit Xhaka returning to the Premier League with this world-class capture.
ByKelan SarsonJul 17, 2025