Chelsea have been strongly linked with a shock move for Sunderland and Switzerland captain Granit Xhaka.
Granit Xhaka’s future at Sunderland has become the subject of intense speculation after the Black Cats captain was heavily linked with a move to Premier League rivals Chelsea.
The former Arsenal and Bayer Leverkusen midfielder enjoyed a stunning first season on Wearside as he helped guide Sunderland to a seventh place finish upon their return to the top flight and that meant preparations for a first ever Europa League campaign are now in the works.
Although The Echo understands the Black Cats would not welcome any offers for the Switzerland international, the fact several reports at home and from journalists based in Europe have caused understandable concern from the Wearside faithful, with some outlets claiming Xhaka is keen on the move and some suggesting he has already agreed personal terms with the Blues.
But just how influence was the Swiss star during what was a truly momentous season for Sunderland?
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Minutes played
It will not be a surprise to anyone to discover Xhaka ranks amongst the top five players in the Sunderland squad when it comes to minutes played in the Premier League last season. In total, the Swiss star played 2,903 minutes during 32 starts and two substitute appearances across the campaign. In terms of outfield players, that figure is only bettered by Enzo Le Fee (2,936 minutes), Trai Hume (3,040 minutes). However, it is goalkeeper Robin Roefs that tops the rankings after racking up 3,150 minutes during the league season.
Assists
Although Xhaka’s nous and leadership in the heart of the Black Cats side rightly won him praise during his first season on Wearside, the former Arsenal midfielder showed he can be a key figure on the attacking front with six assists across the campaign. Only Enzo Le Fee can match that tally and they led the way ahead of Nordi Mukiele (four assists) and Habib Diarra (two assists).
Goals
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World Cup star Brian Brobbey led the way when it comes to Premier League goals during the season after the former Ajax striker scored seven times in the league during his first season in England. Wilson Isidor and Enzo Le Fee scored six and five respectively and Chemsdine Talbi found the net on four occasions. Xhaka only scored one Premier League goal after he was on target in a 1-1 draw with Everton and he is one of five Sunderland players with a solitary league goal to their name during the season.
xG (expected goals)
Expected goals (xG) has become an increasingly popular statistic to judge the effectiveness of the quality of attacking play as an individual player and as a team. Xhaka’s personal xG of 0.93 almost perfectly matches his actual return of one goal across the course of the season. Unsurprisingly, top goalscorer Brian Brobbey tops the list with an xG of 7.63 and he is followed by Wilson Isidor (5.65) and Enzo Le Fee (5.07)
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