Sunderland Name Granit Xhaka as New Club Captain Ahead of Premier League Return

Sunderland have confirmed Granit Xhaka as captain for the 2025/26 Premier League season.

The 32-year-old Switzerland international arrived at the Stadium of Light this summer in a high-profile move from Bayer Leverkusen, instantly becoming the Black Cats’ marquee signing.

With his wealth of top-flight and international experience, Xhaka had been widely tipped to take the role — and now it’s official.

Why Sunderland Appointed Granit Xhaka as Captain

Xhaka has captained Borussia Monchengladbach in the Bundesliga, Arsenal in the Premier League, and Switzerland’s national team since 2020.

His appointment sees him replace last season’s split system, where Dan Neil and Luke O’Nien shared captaincy duties within a leadership group.

Head coach Regis Le Bris will keep the leadership group this year and will confirm the rest of the group after the summer transfer window.

Le Bris praised Xhaka’s influence both on and off the pitch, saying:

“In the Premier League, it will be important to have consistency, maturity, and experience. Granit brings all these qualities. His behaviour so far has been very impressive, and on the field you can see his high level. Others around him can feel this influence, and his leadership will support the team as we adapt to a different environment.”

Granit Xhaka Sends Message to Sunderland Fans

With Sunderland kicking off their season at home to West Ham United on Saturday, Xhaka said he was “incredibly proud” to take on the armband and urged supporters to unite behind the team.

“It makes me incredibly proud to be captain of this Club and of this team. I hope to show my leadership on and off the pitch, helping my team-mates every day. To be part of Sunderland’s history, alongside the names who have worn this armband before, is an honour. I’m a winner and I expect the same mentality from my team-mates.”

The former Arsenal midfielder also delivered a passionate rallying cry to fans:

“From the beginning, I had a really positive feeling at the training ground. I could already feel the excitement from the fans when we faced Real Betis in pre-season. We will give everything on the pitch with your support. We will have good days and bad days, but the most important thing is to stick together. That unity will help us achieve our goals.”

Sunderland will be leaning on Xhaka to help guide them to safety from relegation in a season where TV pundits are split on their Premier League 2025/26 predictions.