That’s one I can see us being interested in, I’d prefer him to Daghim personally for this transfer window
he was apparently awful in Italy so hopefully for them they get the Villa version not the juventus one
HomesportFootballGranit Xhaka: How the Sunderland move really came about This is how Xhaka left Leverkusen "I thought someone was playing a prank" For the first time since his comeback in England, Granit Xhaka talks to Blick about the details of his deal with Premier League newcomers Sunderland: when he was contacted and what convinced him. Sven SchochSports Reporter A few days after the spectacular 3-0 opening win against West Ham United, Granit Xhaka (32) offers a deep insight into his new daily routine in a big interview with Blick (the full exclusive interview is available here): "Here, they live, breathe, and suffer for the sport. This passion is real." He's gaining "experiences for life," says the captain of the Swiss national team. "I will never regret this decision, no matter what happens." For a long time, speculation surrounding Xhaka's future circulated throughout the summer, but now the 32-year-old reveals how his remarkable transfer to the rugged northeast of England really came about. Initial contact was reportedly made one day before his departure for the Bayer Leverkusen camp in Rio de Janeiro. “You have to do this, Granite!” "At 11 p.m., a Swiss number lit up on my phone," Xhaka described the situation to Blick. "I was on my way to bed, the children were already asleep: 'Hello, this is Kyril. I'm the owner of Sunderland.' I went along with the game because I thought someone was playing a prank on me. My agent, José Noguera, was in America at the time—with the time difference. I gave Kyril my agent's number. The conversation was clear, but brief. Ten minutes later, José contacted me via FaceTime, along with the sporting director and Kyril. Then I realized: Things were getting serious." After that late-night phone call, he felt: "You have to do this, Granit! The club is coming from a situation that reminded me of my parents' beginnings—from scratch. And I feel that this experience here will give me the most for my future." In an exclusive interview, Xhaka not only reveals his plans for Sunderland, but the midfield maestro also touches on his eventful and successful past with Leverkusen. And Sunderland's new captain clarifies what has really bothered him in recent weeks about the reports of his departure from the Werkself. https://www.blick.ch/sport/fussball...us-leverkusen-und-seine-rolle-id21158657.html
That's not really what that means. Did whoever told you Lucumi was all but done tell you to tell everyone that this is the case? Or did you take it upon yourself to tell us all? Because of it's the latter, as I suspect it is, you're not the messenger, you're the message. No one ever said we couldn't shoot the message.
Despite spending £140million on a dozen new players, Regis Le Bris may want to add more experience to his exciting squad. Sunderland were brilliant in beating West Ham 3-0 on Saturday but Granit Xhaka apart they haven’t got a lot of knowhow for the challenges ahead. Colombian centre-back Jhon Lucumi of Bologna is proven at Serie A and international level and don’t discount free agents like Jamie Vardy or Danny Ings. Given Sunderland play on the counter, a winger in the mould of Leicester’s Abdul Fatawu may also be of interest. He is only 21 but did well in the Premier League last season before suffering a serious knee injury from which he’s recovered. (Daily Mail)
Would love Uche from Getafe. Looks look they need to sell. Possibly 15 mil euro. Big explosive 22yr old lad with excellent technique and versatile. Dreamland scenario is Lucumi, bakwa, Daghim and Uche. That would be 16 signings. Keep the u21 lads. pick 5-8 of last year’s squad to keep depending on what RLB wants. I count 8 that I would keep. Sell the rest with a few chosen for loans if we think they have high ceilings.