FLORENT Ghisolfi has described Granit Xhaka as the “perfect player”.
And Sunderland’s director of football says last summer’s transfer window was a lot easier to negotiate after the “statement” capture of Xhaka, which paved the way for more crucial signings.
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Sunderland overhauled their squad last summer in preparation for their return to the Premier League, but the signing of Xhaka was the real head-turner.
The former Arsenal midfielder was a regular for Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga and Champions League and lucrative offers to move to Saudi Arabia were on the table.
But Ghisolfi has revealed Xhaka instantly decided Sunderland was the move he wanted in his first conversation with the Black Cats.
And the Frenchman says the signing of Xhaka was transformational on and off the pitch.
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On the pitch, Xhaka has led by example, immense for the Black Cats in his first season on Wearside. He’s played a starring role as Regis Le Bris’ side have exceeded expectations and are still in contention to qualify for Europe as they prepare for Premier League action to resume this weekend when they host Tottenham on Sunday.
But Xhaka has been equally as important behind the scenes, setting the standards on a day to day basis. The midfielder led the dressing room team talk ahead of the Tyne-Wear derby win at Newcastle before the international break.
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Ghisolfi, who arrived at the start of last summer from Roma and has led Sunderland’s impressive transfer work, said: “Granit was a very important signing for us, for the team and the club and also for the community.
“I think Granit was a big statement for us, it was easier for me afterwards to work on the recruitment because we were more attractive [to players].
“I didn’t think the perfect player existed but now I know Granit [is]. As a player and a leader he is amazing. He is also a big fit for the club and the community because his values are very close to Sunderland values.
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“We are very proud he trusted the club and the community. I think he trusted the project and for a lot of people, I think he showed it was credible in the Premier League.
“The first discussion, the first video call, he said within five minutes ‘I want to go there’. It was an important moment in our Premier League journey.”
After a spell out with injury and a closely managed return to action, Xhaka was back in Sunderland’s starting XI for the games against Brighton and Newcastle before the break, but only played 45 minutes for Switzerland in the recent get-together.
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But national team boss Murat Yakin revealed he was happy to let Xhaka decide how much football he’d play, with the midfielder clearly aware of the need to manage the ankle issue to ensure there was no aggravation ahead of the Premier League run-in and this summer’s World Cup.
