According to Fabrizio Romano, Xhaka has voiced his personal desire to join Sunderland, who have reportedly lodged their first bid.
The Switzerland international has three years remaining on his contract at Bayer Leverkusen and could join Florian Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong to flock to Premier League football this summer.
Yet, newly-appointed head coach Erik ten Hag has asserted how he is reluctant to let another influential player leave the club.
As per Fabrizio Romano, he said: "The agent of Xhaka can say whatever he wants, but this club has already let three important players go, and we won’t let any more go."
"Granit is a leader, he still has three years left on his contract here."
In Xabi Alonso’s second season in his first managerial post, Leverkusen won their first domestic title in their history without losing a single game, and Xhaka, who signed for them in July 2023 for just over £21 million, was at the heartbeat of their unprecedented Invincibles run in the Bundesliga.
He missed two league games in two seasons, and only 10 players, including just one midfielder, amassed more minutes than him in the league last term, according to Fbref.
His consistency is further emphasised by his 137 caps for the national team, wearing the captain’s armband in more recent years and helping Switzerland reach the quarter-finals of the European Championships on two consecutive occasions.
Meanwhile in the Champions League for his club last campaign, he started 9 games for Leverkusen in central midfield before they fell to Bayern Munich in the last 16.
He initially was synonymous with physical tackling and breaking up play defensively, which reduced considerable attention being directed towards his glimmers of quality from dead balls or long range at Arsenal.
Xhaka has now been crafted into a midfield artist, starting from the tail end of his time under Arteta, who pushed Xhaka to operate further forwards and dictate the game with the ball.
By continuing the development of this attribute with Alonso, his true strengths have perhaps been revealed.
As per Fbref, Xhaka ranked only second to Joshua Kimmich for the number of progressive passes completed last season in the Bundesliga.
From predictable infringements penalised by numerous yellow and red cards for The Gunners, this recklessness largely evaporated in Germany as he exuded more maturity.
Walking off the pitch and gesturing to enraged supporters at the Emirates at the end of 2019, Xhaka was subject to widespread criticism for his conduct as well as his performances, with Unai Emery’s dismissal looming.
More recently in 2023, when Arsenal were challenging for the Premier League title, he got involved in an unnecessary confrontation with Trent Alexander-Arnold at Anfield, which riled up the home supporters and Liverpool began to mount a comeback.
Though it still remains important to summon his inherent defensive aggression, Alonso’s tutelage has transformed Xhaka’s style and inclinations on the pitch, channelling his leadership traits into something more productive.
Last season, he made 7 assists in 33 Bundesliga games and this form ultimately stemmed from his advanced role during his final season in North London, when he scored 9 goals and provided 7 assists in all competitions.
At Sunderland, Habib Diarra could be seen as a direct replacement for Jobe Bellingham, and Enzo Le Fée’s permanent deal may prompt manager Régis Le Bris to deploy him on a regular basis as an orchestrator.
Xhaka may adopt the connecting piece between these two players, adding versatility to a newly-fledged midfield in an area where games can ultimately be won and lost.
As Sunderland edged past Coventry City and Sheffield United in the play-offs with moments of magic deciding the outcome, Xhaka is also no stranger to the spectacular.
He could add individual quality to find the net when Sunderland inevitably find themselves facing an uphill battle in games against the top Premier League sides.
