AdminSunderland landed one of the signings of the season in the Premier League when they paid £13m to sign Granit Xhaka from Bayer Leverkusen last summer.
The Switzerland international arrived at the Stadium of Light as a vastly experienced operator at the top level, winning the Bundesliga with Leverkusen and playing almost 300 matches for Arsenal.
His experience and quality have been there for all to see on the pitch in the Premier League for the Black Cats this season, as he has played an instrumental part in their success.
The left-footed star has scored one goal, created nine ‘big chances’, and provided nine assists in 32 appearances in the top-flight for Regis Le Bris, offering creative quality on the ball.
Xhaka has also been a monster out of possession for Sunderland with 2.4 tackles and interceptions per game along with a duel success rate of 60%.
Sunderland are the frontrunners to sign £10m star
Whilst the Swiss star has been brilliant, and even described as a “manager on the pitch” by Jamie Redknapp, the club do have to consider what life will look like after him.
Xhaka turns 34 in September and the Black Cats should already be thinking about who could take his place as a regular starter when he regresses towards the end of his career.
According to Football Insider, Sunderland are one of the teams in the race to sign Schalke central midfielder Soufiane El-Faouzi, who could end up being Xhaka’s heir on Wearside.
The report claims that Scottish giants Celtic and Rangers have also shown an interest in signing the German midfield talent, who is valued at £10m by the 2. Bundesliga championship.
It adds, though, that Sunderland are set to blow Celtic and Rangers out of the water with the financial strength that they boast over the Premiership sides, as a team in the Premier League.
The Black Cats are, therefore, the frontrunners to secure his services if they decide to press ahead with a formal offer of £10m to bring the 23-year-old to England this summer.
How Soufiane El-Faouzi can be Sunderland’s next Granit Xhaka
El-Faouzi could be the ideal signing for Sunderland to plan for life beyond Xhaka because he could play a back-up role at first, learning from the captain, before taking his place further down the line.
Coming up from the 2. Bundesliga, the German star would not be expected to be a key player for the Black Cats right away and could be Xhaka’s understudy at first, developing his game.
El-Faouzi’s performances for Schalke this season suggests that he has the potential to be a similar type of player to the Sunderland captain if he can adjust to Premier League football after a jump from the second tier in his home country.
| 25/26 season | El-Faouzi (2. BL) | Xhaka (PL) |
|---|---|---|
| Appearances | 33 | 32 |
| Goals | 2 | 1 |
| Big chances created | 11 | 9 |
| Assists | 5 | 6 |
| Tackles won per game | 3.0 | 1.5 |
| Duels won per game | 6.1 | 4.7 |
| Ground duel success rate | 54% | 59% |
| Dribble success rate | 46% | 46% |
Like Xhaka, the German whiz is a creative midfield player who has the ability on the ball to unlock an opposition defence from a central midfield position, creating two more ‘big chances’ than the Black Cats star this season.
El-Faouzi is particularly impressive, though, because he combines creative quality in possession with eye-catching defensive contributions off the ball in the middle of the park.
The 23-year-old ace averages twice as many tackles per game as Xhaka in the 2025/26 season and 1.4 more duels won per match, although the Switzerland international has won a higher percentage of his ground duels.
This means that the Schalke ace could be the perfect heir to the ex-Arsenal man in midfield at the Stadium of Light because he is another midfielder who offers composure and quality on the ball, whilst being solid and combative out of possession.
There is, of course, a question over whether or not he can adapt to the Premier League after playing in the second tier in Germany, but Xhaka is not showing any signs of his powers waning yet.
El-Faouzi, therefore, could come in with little pressure to hit the ground running and can take his time to adapt to English football and the standard of football, making him a long-term addition to the squad rather than a short-term upgrade for Le Bris.
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