What Arsene Wenger once said about Granit Xhaka will excite Sunderland fans
Sunderland are assembling an incredible team in the summer transfer window, with former Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka becoming one of their most eye-catching additions.
Sunderland completed the signing of Granit Xhaka at the end of July, in what was a shock to the rest of the footballing world.
Xhaka won the Bundesliga title with Bayer Leverkusen in 2024, and now, he will be leading the Black Cats into battle in the Premier League.
The 32-year-old made a name for himself in the competition during his seven-year spell at the Gunners, which included 52 goal involvements in 293 appearances.
| Club | Appearances | Yellow cards | Double booking | Red cards |
| Arsenal | 297 | 76 | 0 | 5 |
Known as a fiery and aggressive midfielder, Xhaka’s disciplinary record at Arsenal was poor, often picking up avoidable bookings. However, the Swiss international boasted one characteristic that will be key in Sunderland’s survival bid.
Arsene Wenger’s past comments on Granit Xhaka
Arsene Wenger captured Xhaka for Arsenal in the summer of 2016, with the ball-winning midfielder joining from Borussia Monchengladbach.
Xhaka was a regular fixture in Wenger’s starting lineup during his final two campaigns at the Emirates, and the legendary Premier League boss was complimentary of his commitment in training and his improvement during the 2016/17 season.
Speaking in May 2017, Wenger said via the Mirror: “I think today you can say he is a success because he is getting stronger in every single game, and also he has a good, consistent focus.
“He turns up every day in training with full commitment. He has a very good focus, every single day – which you can say about all of our midfielders.
“He never misses a training session and that’s certainly why he has improved throughout the season.”
The above comments suggest Xhaka will lead by example in training, and his experiences will be integral for the younger players, two ingredients that can help Sunderland avoid the drop.
Regis Le Bris comments on Granit Xhaka
Sunderland have proved they mean business this summer, and signing someone of Xhaka’s calibre is a sign of their ambition.
Despite approaching the end of his career, the defensive midfielder is still looking to learn and improve, with manager Regis Le Bris left impressed by his first week at the club and has even suggested he will be the captain.
“For me, it’s really easy to speak with him because he understands everything but he is really humble, which for me is not a surprise, but it’s always good to see at the best level a player still wants to learn and get better,” Le Bris said via the Sunderland Echo.
“His behaviour so far has been very impressive. We need maturity, level, consistency, experience – he brings everything. You can feel that for the others around him, it makes their life easier. For the Premier League, it helps to have two, three lads like that. He will probably be captain, yes.”
Xhaka’s qualities as a midfield destroyer and leader rolled into one will be pivotal in 2025/26, with Sunderland fans no doubt excited by his arrival.
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