Granit Xhaka became the first player to captain Sunderland in a European match since 1973 when he led the team out at the Stadium of Light on Thursday night.
The Switzerland international played the full 90 minutes in a 1-0 win over Dutch side AZ Alkmaar, thanks to a penalty from Enzo Le Fee in the second half.
Since joining from Bayer Leverkusen for £13m last year, the left-footed star has emerged as one of Regis Le Bris‘ most reliable performers, using his experience to deliver consistent performances.
He has played every minute in the Premier League so far this season for the Black Cats, but the club may still have to think about what life looks like after Xhaka.
Why Sunderland need to plan for life after Granit Xhaka
The former Arsenal star turns 34 later this month and is heading into the latter stages of his playing career, which is why Sunderland need to start planning for life without him in the team.
Whilst he remains a key part of Le Bris’ side in the here and now, Xhaka could begin to naturally regress in the next couple of seasons and the club will need to have a replacement in the building who is ready to step in when that happens.
In the 2025/26 campaign, the 33-year-old star played 34 times in the Premier League and showcased his physicality by winning 60% of his ground duels and 62% of his aerial duels in the division.
|
26/27 Premier League |
Granit Xhaka |
|---|---|
|
Appearances |
4 |
|
Key passes per game |
2.5 |
|
Big chances created |
3 |
|
Tackles per game |
1.5 |
|
Interceptions per game |
1.3 |
|
Duels won per game |
5.8 |
|
Ground duel success rate |
60% |
|
Aerial duel success rate |
63% |
His physical output is sat at a similar level in the current top-flight season, showing that he has yet to slow down, but that does not mean that a regression is not around the corner.
Xhaka has been a phenomenal signing for the Black Cats, since joining last year. However, he may only end up having a relatively short-term impact in the long run, should he begin to regress in the coming seasons.
Sunderland made an even better signing than Granit Xhaka
Whilst the Swiss midfield titan may have a fairly short shelf life at the Stadium of Light, due to his age, the club have a younger player on their books who may end up going down as an even better signing.
Sunderland’s journey back to the top-flight was a long time coming. They spent several seasons in League One and several seasons in the Championship before eventually securing promotion in the 2024/25 campaign.
Along the way, Kristjaan Speakman played a few blinders in the transfer market by identifying and signing young players with the potential to grow alongside the club.
One of those players was central defender Dan Ballard. The Northern Irishman was snapped up from Premier League giants Arsenal for a fee of just £2m when Sunderland were in the second tier in the summer of 2022.
After failing to make a first-team appearance for the Gunners, the defender opted to try his luck at the Stadium of Light, and he has since developed into a Premier League grade centre-back.
Ballard, who has played 125 times for the club in all competitions, played three seasons in the Championship before playing a key role in their play-off success, playing every minute of the end-of-season tournament.
|
Dan Ballard (Premier League) |
25/26 |
26/27 |
|---|---|---|
|
Appearances |
29 |
4 |
|
Pass accuracy |
82% |
84% |
|
Tackles + interceptions per game |
1.8 |
2.0 |
|
Clearances per game |
6.4 |
6.3 |
|
Duels won per game |
5.8 |
8.3 |
|
Ground duel success rate |
61% |
57% |
|
Aerial duel success rate |
58% |
50% |
Since being promoted to the Premier League, Sunderland have been able to rely on the Northern Ireland international because of the physical attributes that he provides at centre-back.
The 26-year-old star, who also scored two goals in the division last term, is an incredibly dominant defender who rarely loses duels on the ground or in the air, which helps him to keep opposition attackers quiet on a regular basis.
Like Xhaka, Ballard has played every minute of the Premier League campaign to date and is a key player for Le Bris because of the physicality and the consistency that he brings to his role.
Unlike the Black Cats captain, though, the central defender has the potential to be a star player for many, many, more years to come at the age of 26, as he is seven years younger than his skipper.
The 26-year-old star has already been at the Stadium of Light for three more years than Xhaka, having joined in 2022, and could remain a star player beyond the Swiss star’s time on Wearside.
There is also the potential for him to be sold for a profit in the future. He is currently valued at around £17m by Transfermarkt, which is 750% more than the £2m that the club paid for him, and that shows that Sunderland have hit the jackpot with the defender.
Therefore, Ballard has been an even better signing for the club than Xhaka because of his longevity, his importance to the team in the Premier League, and his potential to offer more value in the future.