GRANIT XHAKA: ARSENAL FAN VIEW

With Granit Xhaka set to spearhead Sunderland's return to the Premier League, we spoke to Arsenal fan and ocassional SAFSee commentator Dan Godfrey about his time at the Emirates.

As an Arsenal fan, are you happy to see Granit Xhaka back in the Premier League?

Absolutely. Xhaka provided a lot of great memories in an Arsenal shirt, and always proved during his time at Bayer Leverkusen that he still had everything in his locker to return to the Premier League and make another impact one day. My connection with both Arsenal and Sunderland makes this one personally an incredible transfer to see go through, and I’m over the moon it has happened.

His time at the Emirates seemed to be a bit of a mixed bag. From being booed off as a sub and being known as a red card liability, to seeing a real resurgence and becoming a key member of Arteta's squad. What do the Gunners fans think of him now?

Granit is very fondly remembered at Arsenal. It wasn’t always easy for him in North London by his own admission, but the way he responded, fought back against the critics and became an integral player for several managers is something to be applauded, when many would have sunk.

He's been praised for his experience and leadership qualities, which of course will be crucial in this young Sunderland side. But as well as these traits, how is he on the ball?

He was an Arsene Wenger signing back in 2016, which gives a huge indication to his technical qualities - and those attributes are never lost through age. As you say, the leadership will be vital as a young squad look to navigate the Premier League - most of them for the first time. Xhaka progresses transitions well, providing that crucial glue in the midfield - and you only have to watch his highlight reels for some of the long-distance screamers he’s unleashed in his time.

At 32 will he still be fit/quick enough to cope with the rigours of Premier League football?

For sure. There tends to be a lot of pre-judgement about players over 30 these days, often stemming from computer game stats and the like. One of Xhaka’s key attributes is his stamina - he often played up to three 90-minute games a week for Arsenal for months on end, and has been key for Leverkusen at a wonderful time for the club. Sunderland have tied him to a three-year deal, which demonstrates the club’s faith in maintaining his fitness.

Do you see him coming to the club and taking the captaincy straight away?

Whether this is by immediately claiming the armband, I couldn’t rule it out but I’m not sure. There are players like Dan Neil and Luke O’Nien (the current core leadership group) whose impact cannot be forgotten for one second in getting the club back where they belong. One thing is for certain, however, and that is Xhaka will be a senior leader on the pitch and in the dressing room, and will act as a key station for advice from the rest of the squad. His mentality is rock-solid.

Speaking of the leadership group, plus midfield competition, where does this leave someone like Dan Neil?

Dan has played 188 times for Sunderland in the past four seasons alone - I’d never like to see someone like him written off, as he is a massive reason the Lads are now back in the top flight. While sentiment can be costly in football, Neil has shown his ability to step up as not only a midfielder, but a leader for his boyhood club. He could still make a contribution on Wearside this season, and can learn further from someone with the calibre of Xhaka, taking his arrival as a positive.

Having won the Bundesliga in recent years, are you surprised to see him come to a newly-promoted club like Sunderland?

Firstly, it proves the point of what a footballing giant Sunderland are. In addition, clubs coming up from the Championship have all fallen short in the past two seasons, so the likes of Sunderland, Leeds and Burnley all have to aim high and strive to hit the ground running with Premier League-ready squads. Xhaka clearly believes in the trajectory of the project, and is in it for the long haul. Survival in the Premier League is hopefully just the start of this new adventure and can in turn lead to further big-hitters signing for the club.

How important do you think the Swiss link with KLD has been in getting this deal over the line?

It will have been massive - football runs heavily on networking, with Jobe Bellingham’s historical Birmingham link a very successful recent example. It’s encouraging for Sunderland fans to know the leading figures at the Stadium of Light possess that large network, recruitment strategy and pull for players like Xhaka.

This is a statement signing, do you think Xhaka's high wages could potentially lead to wage inflation through the whole squad to any extent?

Xhaka’s career speaks for itself, and is very respected throughout the club. Wage increases are likely to be a natural progression of staying in the Premier League, and will of course depend on which players make the greatest impact this campaign.

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

As mentioned before, Xhaka is evergreen in terms of his stamina, fitness and possesses a perfect Premier League-ready blend of technical and physical strength. He has already played over 700 times across his club and international career. His leadership was still massively valued under Mikel Arteta in his final season at Arsenal, and he was only really allowed to go when it became clearer Declan Rice was coming in. In terms of weaknesses, his discipline was of course not always up to scratch during his earlier years in England, though he has shown a lot more these days a way to channel his aggression in the right way.

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

Yes. West Ham on the opening weekend will be an ideal gauge of where Sunderland currently are, with the Hammers having been one of the weaker sides from the 17 clubs to have stayed in the Premier League exclusively between 2023 and now. Xhaka is a player most Premier League clubs’ fans would still have welcomed, which speaks volumes. What’s also key with Granit is that with Sunderland undergoing such a major transition period, he is very accustomed to that - having played under Arteta, Unai Emery and Wenger at Arsenal, and then helped massively raise the standards at Leverkusen. I have no doubt he will go down in the Mackem history books as the signing that turned a new page.