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Granit Xhaka's career trajectory took a turn no one expected after he left Arsenal in 2023.
It was not like he was never a good player at Arsenal. Quite the opposite, actually - he was a really solid presence in midfield for the Gunners, but he did have a lot of issues with his temperament and decision-making.
Once he left the club to join Xabi Alonso at Bayer Leverkusen, a lot of things changed. He became a more refined version of the leader that left Arsenal, as well as a brilliant controller of the game under Alonso.
He refined his game and his mentality, becoming one of the best midfielders in the world alongside Palacios at the heart of the invincible Bayer Leverkusen side that won titles, and were agonizingly close to winning a third while being unbeaten.
He dictated the tempo for Leverkusen, being the calming presence that was needed at the club, before leaving after the brilliant core of that side left earlier in the summer.
Now, Xhaka has been balling out with Sunderland, being a candidate for signing of the season as Sunderland see themselves in fourth place, just months after gaining promotion into the Premier League.
And now, they are being linked with a player who Xhaka used to play with at Arsenal, and he is also the last player anyone would expect to be seen teaming up with the Swiss captain once again.
Matteo Guendouzi is a surprising choice for Sunderland, but it does make sense
Sunderland manager Regis Le Bris, who worked with Matteo Guendouzi at Lorient back in the day, is not ruling out a move for him in the January transfer window.
He said: "We still have connections with players and Matteo is one of those players. I worked with him previously in Lorient so we stay connected."
Out of anyone that played with Xhaka in that Arsenal side, Guendouzi would've been near the bottom of the list of players I'd see playing together again.
That is not to say Guendouzi is not a good player. In fact, it would be a good signing for Sunderland, and they will get a decent amount of quality alongside their captain in midfield.
He is also somehow only 26 years old - which is baffling - so it is not like they will only be able to get the best out of him for a year or two. The Frenchman is still relatively young, so having him around Xhaka could actually help a lot.
Xhaka has improved a lot as a player, and if he takes Guendouzi under his wing, he could help improve the Frenchman's game as well.
So, it is a very surprising move if it does happen. But it is definitely not a bad move. It would be funny to see these two together again in the Premier League, but it is not a bad idea.