Erik ten Hag has blocked Granit Xhaka from leaving Bayer Leverkusen this summerBayer Leverkusen head coach Erik ten HagBayer Leverkusen head coach Erik ten Hag(Image: Jörg Schüler/Bayer 04 Leverkusen via Getty Images)

Erik ten Hag says Granit Xhaka will not be allowed to leave Bayer Leverkusen to join Sunderland this summer after the club lost Jeremie Frimpong and Florian Wirtz to Liverpool. Switzerland international Xhaka was lined up for a sensational return to the Premier League with Championship play-off winners Sunderland.

Earlier this week, the agent of the 32-year-old – who left Arsenal to join Leverkusen two years ago – said his client had agreed terms with the Black Cats and was hopeful that Leverkusen would not stand in the way of a move.

However, Ten Hag has put a block on Xhaka’s transfer to the Stadium of Light after insisting the 2024 Bundesliga winners can’t afford to lose any more key players after the departures of Frimpong and Wirtz to Liverpool, plus Jonathan Tah to Bayern Munich.

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“The agent can say anything. But this club has already lost three important players,” Ten Hag said on Wednesday.

“We won’t let any more players go, that’s not possible. That would neglect the structure and also the culture of the squad.

“It’s clear – Granit is a leader, he has signed here for five years and has three years left on his contract. He’s too important for us to let him go.”

Liverpool moved swiftly to sign Frimpong just days after the Premier League ended as they triggered a £29.5m release clause in the full-back’s contract.

A deal for Wirtz, however, was more complicated due to the finances, though the Reds completed the transfer of the attacking midfielder on June 20 after agreeing a deal worth a potential £116m.

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