More exciting than Xhaka: Sunderland make contact to sign £34m star on loan

More exciting than Xhaka: Sunderland make contact to sign £34m star on loan

Sunderland fans may already love Regis Le Bris for his exploits in getting the team promoted to the Premier League, but his legendary

status on Wearside will solidify if he can now keep the Black Cats afloat in the top division.

Given that the Frenchman has never managed a game in the scary division before, this will be very challenging to execute, but the

impressive acquisitions that have come through the door at the Stadium of Light this summer will give him some hope that safety can

be incredibly accomplished.

Granit Xhaka, a former Arsenal star, appears to be the next player on Sunderland’s transfer radar. An ambitious deal is apparently

currently being considered.

But, he isn’t a lone, exciting name on the Black Cats’ extensive shopping list, as contact has now been made to try and seal a deal for an

up-and-coming striker to join Le Bris’ camp.

Sunderland make contact over deal for £34m star

The Black Cats are spending outrageous sums of money in an attempt to realise their survival aspirations; last month, they spent £30

million on Habib Diarra, making him the club’s record acquisition.

According to rumours, Xhaka would cost much less, approximately £9 million. However, when considering the £34 million price tag

next to Sunderland’s other daring striker target, that record sum to get the former Strasbourg midfielder is almost eclipsed.

Gonzalo Garcia, a highly sought-after Real Madrid prodigy, is up for grabs this summer, according to a report by Graeme Bailey.

Along with Brentford and West Ham United, Leeds United, another recently promoted team, is joining the Black Cats in contacting

Madrid about a loan agreement.

The LaLiga giants are currently deciding whether Garcia should remain with the side in 2024/25 before making a concrete decision on

his future.

Why Garcia is a more exciting signing than Xhaka

Naturally, Xhaka has a wealth of Premier League expertise that would be very helpful to Le Bris and company as they attempt to

survive.

However, given Sunderland’s well-established reputation as a place where young people can flourish, bringing Garcia on loan might

prove to be a more exciting move than the Swiss enforcer joining the Stadium of Light. This is especially true if Garcia’s stellar play in

goal at the Club World Cup translates well to the Premier League’s hectic schedule.

Prior to exploring Garcia’s exploits for Los Blancos, Xhaka had a less than ideal Premier League journey with Arsenal before joining

Bayer Leverkusen.

Xhaka would be known for having a questionable record in terms of bookings in the elite division, culminating in a high total of four

red cards and 57 yellow cards being handed to him over 225 top-flight games. This is concerning for a team trying to be competitive in

every league match they are in next season.

Naturally, he also scored 17 goals and provided 24 assists for the Gunners as a dynamic midfield player, but given that £30 million has

already been spent on the aforementioned Diarra centrally, spending £9 million on Xhaka may not be the most urgent decision to

make.

Every Premier League team that hopes to stay afloat requires a strong forward line, but last season, Wilson Isidor, Le Bris’ star

forward, wasted a staggering twenty good chances in league play.

Not everyone will be sure he can lead the line with venom, so Garcia could be the one to step in and help.