EXPERT'S VIEW: GRANIT XHAKA

Following the official announcement of Granit Xhaka's Sunderland arrival from Bayer Leverkusen, we spoke to European football presenter and podcaster Jack Meenan to discuss what we can expect from the Swiss international.

Are you surprised to see Xhaka leave Leverkusen at this moment in time?

Yes and no. With the big upheaval at Leverkusen this summer and several key players leaving, it would make sense for someone like Xhaka to try something new, along with the other players. However, with the departure of Jonathan Tah and the future of keeper Lukas Hradecky unknown, it would have set Xhaka up to likely become the club captain, and he would lead this new look Leverkusen side.

Were you also surprised to see him join a newly-promoted club like Sunderland?

Yes. When he joined Leverkusen, he made a big deal about returning to the Rhein region, where his wife is from, so to leave so soon and also not to join Basel was surprising. On top of this, from a footballing point of view, going from Leverkusen who will be playing in the Champions League, to Sunderland who will be playing mostly in the bottom half of the Premier League is hard to wrap your head around!

At 32, is he still physically fit and capable of competing at Premier League level?

If last season is anything to go by, probably not. In Leverkusen’s double-winning season, his absence from the team was obvious, so that is why he played constantly. But last season, he looked way off the pace and was at times a liability for Leverkusen’s midfield.

If he is rotated regularly though, I think there will be few problems with his physical capability.

What about his technical ability? How is he on the ball?

Xhaka is very good at playing the ball forward. In Leverkusen’s double season, he topped the league and Europe in progressive passes (according to FBref), while he also ranked highly in the same category last season. He was also central to how Leverkusen played, which can also be seen with the fact that he ranked highly when it came to touches as well.

At Arsenal he had a reputation for being hot-headed, would you say he calmed down during his time in Germany?

Calmed down is may be the wrong way to phrase it, but he still has a ‘fire’ and intensity within him that will come out every once and a while.

He's been praised for his leadership qualities and winning mentality. How important will that be in a young Sunderland dressing room?

Considering this Sunderland side is lacking in Premier League experience, I think Xhaka will be a great addition when it comes to leading them and providing them with his knowledge and experience of the league. Coming from a side that was previously known as ‘Neverkusen’ and later was known for how often they scored late goals will also help the side.

Overall what would you say are his biggest strengths and weaknesses?

As mentioned, it would be his passing ability and probably his intangible qualities, such as the leadership and mentality he possesses. His defending is okay, but could be better, which is why at Leverkusen he would be partnered with Robert Andrich and Exequiel Palacios, while pairing him with Aleix Garcia never really worked, as the pair are very similar in playing style.

His main weakness, I would say, is his physical capability. I'm not going to say it is an outright consistent problem because a rest over the summer could have refreshed him and he could be back to his 23/24 levels, but at 32, players usually begin to decline, and if he carries his 24/25 form over, it could become a problem.

Finally, is this the signing that could make the difference between relegation and survival?

I think when it comes to the mentality side of it, I think Xhaka would be able to use his experiences with Leverkusen to show what is possible for a team. However, I think it is too hard to tell if Xhaka’s sole impact on the pitch will be enough to help Sunderland survive as the newly promoted Premier League sides tend to struggle while the established sides get stronger and stronger.