Granit Xhaka to Remain at Bayer Leverkusen, Confirms Head Coach Erik ten Hag

Granit Xhaka to Remain at Bayer Leverkusen, Confirms Head Coach Erik ten Hag

Head coach Erik ten Hag has confirmed that Granit Xhaka will not be leaving Bayer Leverkusen this summer, despite interest from Sunderland.

The 32-year-old former Arsenal midfielder's agent recently informed German media that Xhaka had agreed on personal terms with the newly promoted Premier League club and expressed a desire to return to England.

However, following the sales of Florian Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong to Liverpool, as well as Jonathan Tah to Bayern Munich, the Bundesliga club is reluctant to part with any more players.

Ten Hag stated, "The agent can say anything, but this club has already lost three important players. We won't let any more players go; that's not possible. That would undermine the structure and culture of the squad."

"It's clear—Granit is a leader. He has signed here for five years and has three years left on his contract. He's too important for us to let him go," Ten Hag continued.

The Swiss international spent seven years in the Premier League with Arsenal before moving to Leverkusen in 2023. During his debut season, he played a crucial role in helping Leverkusen secure the Bundesliga title and the German Cup double under Xabi Alonso. They also reached the Europa League final, where they were defeated by Atalanta.

Xhaka has three years remaining on his five-year contract signed in 2023. Ten Hag, who spent over two years at Manchester United before being dismissed in October 2024, succeeded Alonso as head coach earlier this summer after the Spaniard's departure to Real Madrid.

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