Erik ten Hag has publicly dismissed speculation linking former Arsenal captain Granit Xhaka with a return to the Premier League even though his move to Sunderland has been agreed.
Speculation surrounding the Bayer Leverkusen midfielder first emerged last week. Talks have accelerated in recent days, with Xhaka’s agent taking the unorthodox approach of going public.
“We have reached a basic agreement with Sunderland,” Jose Noguera revealed on Tuesday. “Granit wants to return to the Premier League. Sunderland appeals to him, and he wants to take on this challenge.”
When these comments were relayed to Ten Hag, who was sacked by Manchester he was not impressed. “The agent can say anything,” Bayer Leverkusen’s freshly appointment managed huffed to assembled media.
“But this club has already lost three important players. We won’t let any more players go, that’s not possible. That would neglect the structure and also the 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.”
Xhaka has not played in the Premier League since scoring a brace for Arsenal against Wolverhampton Wanderers in May 2023. Converted into a box-to-box midfielder by that point, the divisive Swiss skipper ended his rollercoaster career in England on a high.
Ten Hag has endured a difficult start to his tenure on the Rhine. Talismanic playmaker Florian Wirtz and prolific right back Jeremie Frimpong have both moved to Liverpool with Jarell Quansah coming the other way. Ten Hag has been treated to the club-record arrival of USMNT striker Malik Tillman, yet he can scarcely afford to lose any more key figures.
In the club’s first game under the Dutchman’s stewardship, Leverkusen were thumped 5–1 by Flamengo’s Under-20 side. “The result looks bad, but I don’t really care about results in pre-season,” Ten Hag unconvincingly shrugged after the game.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as ‘He Can Say Anything’—Erik ten Hag Fumes At Granit Xhaka’s Agent.