Sunderland Signs Granit Xhaka, Pursues £26M Forward Amid Premier League Rivalry

Sunderland is actively competing with Wolves and West Ham to sign Bayer Leverkusen forward Amine Adli, whose priority is to move to the Premier League. Sunderland plans to finalize the signing of Granit Xhaka from Leverkusen before pursuing Adli, with Leverkusen valuing Adli around £26 million. Wolves, initially leading the race for Adli, now face stiff competition from Sunderland, which may have an advantage due to their ongoing negotiations for Xhaka. Sunderland recently completed the signing of Xhaka, who has been offered the captaincy, a decision that could influence midfielder Dan Neil's future amid interest from Everton and West Ham. Meanwhile, Wolves are preparing for the new Premier League season under coach Vitor Pereira, facing key departures and transfer decisions, including the uncertain future of goalkeeper Sam Johnstone amid interest from Burnley and Sunderland. Sunderland is also pursuing additional reinforcements, including young midfielder Matias Siltanen, to strengthen their squad for top-flight competition.