AC Milan are unhappy to have missed out on Sunderland star Granit Xhaka as the Premier League side scuppered their plans.
The Switzerland international arrived at Sunderland from Bayer Leverkusen in July 2025.
Régis Le Bris immediately handed him the captain’s armband, and the midfielder has been a key figure for the Black Cats.
Last season, he played 3,028 minutes in 36 matches, scoring a goal and contributing six assists. The English club finished seven and qualified for the Europa League this season.
Milan’s interest in Sunderland star
The 34-year-old spent seven years at Arsenal and left them for Bayer Leverkusen in 2023. He won the title in his debut season in Germany and returned to England last summer.
Granit Xhaka’s performances caught AC Milan’s interest, who wanted him to partner Luka Modrić in midfield. The latter moved to the San Siro for free in 2025, after a long spell at Real Madrid.
However, Régis Le Bris’ side overcame competition from the Serie A side to secure his services. Last December, Xhaka said that Sunderland owner Kyril Louis-Dreyfus convinced him to join the club.
At that time, he said: “Some decisions take time, but I made this one immediately. The owner called me sometime in June, around 11pm. In Albania, they say a call at that hour means either something bad or something big.”
“At first, I thought it was a joke and didn’t believe it was the owner. People know each other in Switzerland, but I didn’t know a Swiss person owned an English club. The key was that the owner hadn’t contacted me personally in any of my previous transfers. That impressed me.”
Disappointment over missing out to Sunderland
Igli Tare was then the Rossoneri sporting director and stepped down from his role in May. He has been speaking to Sky Italia‘s Sky Calcio Unplugged, where he reviews some of AC Milan’s completed and missed deals.
Granit Xhaka falls under the latter, and Tare talks about the Italian club’s failure to sign him.
“At Milan, the feeling I had at the beginning was that leadership was lacking,” he said.
“In addition to Modrić’s arrival, Xhaka, the Bayer Leverkusen captain, also needed to arrive to bring these two real players into the team, with important characteristics that could lead a group.”
“Xhaka didn’t arrive; Luka arrived, who has a different way of being a leader; he’s more quiet in his attitude on and off the pitch.”
A year ago, Sport Witness covered a report from Italy explaining that Milan refused to pay €10-12m because of his age.
The Premier League side would be pleased to have secured a leader like Xhaka, who has been an integral part of their squad. Xhaka’s leadership qualities will be needed to help them get out of the relegation zone.
