It will make many sit up outside of the club and note that Sunderland are serious and not only in the Premier League to make up the numbers. It reminds me of the summer in '99 when Stefan Schwarz signed, who at the time was Sweden captain, and like Xhaxa had a huge pedigree and reputation.
We asked for your thoughts on whether impending signing Granit Xhaka is exactly what the Black Cats need for their Premier League return.
Here are some of your comments:
Stu: The signing of Xhaxa is a gamechanger in terms of the profile of the club externally. It will make many sit up outside of the club and note that Sunderland are serious and not only in the Premier League to make up the numbers. It reminds me of the summer in '99 when Stefan Schwarz signed, who at the time was Sweden captain, and like Xhaxa had a huge pedigree and reputation. He was outstanding for us and believe Xhaxa will be the same in raising standards on and off the pitch. Love it and Ha'way the lads!
P Dinsley: Xhaka is exactly what Sunderland could do with in the middle of the pitch. His experience and commitment should inspire the younger talents around him. He will have plenty of players around him to provide the pace we will require to compete in the Premier League.
David: As an elite, proven midfielder his experience will be invaluable and the fee is more than justified if he helps us stay up. It speaks volumes of his character that he wants to take on the challenge and it will also ensure the backing of the fanbase from the outset. Clever all round.
Chris: Only time will tell whether or not the Xhaka signing will be a success, but without the benefit of hindsight, I think it's definitely worth the risk. Even at a slightly elevated fee. Not only for the experience and quality he can bring directly, but also for the knowledge he can impart to the youngsters around him. With lots of top coaches at the club, I also think he has seen this as an opportunity to work towards the next steps in his career and learning from them to develop his leadership skills further.
Jon: He's exactly what we need. Experienced midfielder that can be the influence around the younger players.
Nigel: He is exactly the type of player we need. He will bring leadership and experience to a young team. The midfield signings so far are all energetic young players who will do the box-to-box work. Xhaka is a great distributor of the ball and will be a valuable addition to the team.
Category: General Sports
