Official: Milan, Inter and Juventus miss out on Xhaka as Sunderland confirm transfer | OneFootball

Granit Xhaka has officially joined Premier League side Sunderland after weeks of speculation of a possible move to Serie A, with Inter, Milan and Juventus interested.

Swiss midfielder Xhaka has joined Sunderland on a permanent transfer from Bayer Leverkusen, the Premier League side confirmed on Wednesday.

Xhaka had agreement with Milan before Sunderland move

LEVERKUSEN, GERMANY – JANUARY 14: Granit Xhaka of Bayer 04 Leverkusen gestures during the Bundesliga match between Bayer 04 Leverkusen and 1. FSV Mainz 05 at BayArena on January 14, 2025 in Leverkusen, Germany. (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images)

Xhaka had reached an agreement on personal terms with Milan just a few weeks ago, but the Rossoneri failed to match Bayer Leverkusen’s asking price.

Fabrizio Romano reports that Sunderland paid €20m to secure the signature of the ex-Arsenal midfielder.

Inter and Juventus stance on Xhaka

LEVERKUSEN, GERMANY – MARCH 11: Granit Xhaka of Bayer 04 Leverkusen reacts at full time during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 Round of 16 second leg match between Bayer 04 Leverkusen and FC Bayern München at BayArena on March 11, 2025 in Leverkusen, Germany. (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images)

Milan’s domestic rivals, Inter and Juventus, had also been linked with Xhaka in previous weeks.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 11: Hakan Calhanoglu #20 of FC Internazionale Milano after disembarking at Los Angeles International Airport for FIFA Club World Cup 2025 on June 11, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

The Switzerland international was seen as a possible replacement for Hakan Calhanoglu if the Turkish star were to leave Inter, but ultimately, the Nerazzurri didn’t receive suitable offers for the 31-year-old.

Juventus are still looking for midfield reinforcements, but first need to sell some of their unwanted players, including Douglas Luiz.