Sunderland agreement with Xhaka deals blow to Milan, Inter and Juventus

Tuesday’s reports claim that newly-promoted Premier League side Sunderland have an agreement in place with Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Granit Xhaka, which comes as a blow to both Inter and Milan, who have been studying potential moves for the former Arsenal man according to reports in Italy. 

As per David Ornstein of The Athletic, Xhaka has informed his current employers that he only wants to join Sunderland this summer and that there is now an agreement in place between the Switzerland international and the Black Cats. 

There is no final agreement between the clubs in place as things stand, but the player has reportedly asked Leverkusen to find a ‘solution’ with Sunderland as swiftly as possible. 

What Sunderland-Xhaka agreement means for Milan, Inter and Juventus

Xhaka is still under contract with Leverkusen until the summer of 2028, but has been seeking a move away from the BayArena after what he considers to be the end of an era following the departures of head coach Xabi Alonso and star players Florian Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong. 

Reports in Italy earlier in the summer claimed that Milan was among the potential destinations for Xhaka, but the Rossoneri have since landed on Luka Modric and Samuele Ricci instead and are now unlikely to return to the negotiating table for the Swiss. 

Reports from La Gazzetta dello Sport over the weekend claimed that Inter would prioritise a move for the 32-year-old in the event that Hakan Calhanoglu ends up leaving this window, which now also appears unlikely with the Sunderland agreement in place. 

There had also been brief reports that Juventus were also among the Serie A sides interested in striking a deal with the Switzerland international this summer.