Work is already going on behind the scenes at Sunderland to identify players who could be brought in to bolster the squad in the next transfer window.
The Black Cats may be active in January as they look to continue progressing and improving as a team, particularly with Europa League football on the table.
Since earning promotion back to the Premier League last year, the club have rarely missed the mark with their signings for head coach Regis Le Bris.
Granit Xhaka is, perhaps, the standout recruit from the past 15 months or so, because of what he has accomplished since his £13m move from Bayer Leverkusen.
What attracted Granit Xhaka to Sunderland?
The Switzerland international was a statement signing for the Black Cats upon their promotion from the Championship because he arrived on Wearside as a Bundesliga winner who had also played almost 300 matches for Arsenal in all competitions.
A player with his pedigree and experience could have easily found a club playing European football or a more established top-flight team, yet he opted to join a newly-promoted Sunderland, who had not played Premier League football since 2017.
Speaking about that decision earlier this year, Xhaka noted that he wanted a “challenge” and that he was convinced by the project after speaking with owner Kyril Louis-Dreyfus.
|
Granit Xhaka (PL) |
25/26 |
26/27 |
|---|---|---|
|
Appearances |
34 |
5 |
|
Key passes per game |
1.0 |
2.6 |
|
Big chances created |
9 |
5 |
|
Assists |
6 |
0 |
|
Tackles + interceptions per game |
2.4 |
3.0 |
|
Ground duel success rate |
60% |
61% |
|
Aerial duel success rate |
62% |
56% |
The Swiss star then captained the team to a seventh-placed finish in the Premier League, offering quality on and off the ball in the middle of the park.
Sunderland hit the jackpot with Xhaka because they had a clear plan and a project to sell to him, which meant that they were able to sign a player whom other newly-promoted teams may have struggled to convince.
How Sunderland could repeat their Xhaka masterclass in 2027
Now, the club could repeat the masterclass that they played with the signing of Xhaka by landing one of their reported targets for the start of next year.
According to TEAMtalk, Sunderland are one of a number of teams who have held talks to sign Barcelona full-back Alejandro Balde in the January transfer window.
The report claims that the Spain international, who has a release clause of £855.9m, is set to leave the Nou Camp on loan in January, and a permanent option has not been ruled out.
It adds that Manchester United and Liverpool are among the other clubs interested in the 22-year-old talent, whilst the Black Cats have also been spoken to by the player’s representatives.
Balde’s current contract with Barcelona is due to expire in the summer of 2028 and it remains to be seen how much they would demand from interested parties to sell him on a permanent basis.
Why Balde could emulate Granit Xhaka at Sunderland
The seven-cap Spain international would be Sunderland’s next version of Xhaka because he would arrive at the Stadium of Light as a statement signing, albeit in different circumstances.
Balde is at the other end of his career to Xhaka and is not an experienced player who knows the Premier League, but he is a highly-rated young talent who is attracting interest from major European teams, in Liverpool and Manchester United.
The 22-year-old defender has fallen out of favour this season, under Hansi Flick, but he has racked up 169 first-team appearances for Barcelona before turning 23, which is a huge achievement.
|
Alejandro Balde at Barcelona |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Season |
Appearances |
Assists |
|
2026/27 |
1 |
0 |
|
2025/26 |
42 |
3 |
|
2024/25 |
47 |
8 |
|
2023/24 |
28 |
1 |
|
2022/23 |
44 |
6 |
|
2021/22 |
7 |
0 |
Balde has provided impressive creativity from a left-back position during his time in the first-team with the Spanish giants, registering 21 assists in those 169 matches.
The young defender has already won three LaLiga titles with Barcelona, playing at least 28 league matches in all three of those seasons, and would arrive at the Stadium of Light with impressive pedigree for his age.
Landing a player who has already proven his quality as a multiple title-winner at a club such as Barcelona would be a huge statement from Sunderland, particularly amid interest from the likes of Liverpool and Manchester United.
As was the case when they signed Xhaka, the Black Cats would need to be incredibly convincing to get a deal for the full-back over the line, as it would be a step-down on paper for him, given his achievements in Spain.
Therefore, Le Bris and the board need to be as convincing as they were to the Sunderland captain in order to get Balde on board to join in the January window, even if it is initially on loan.