Sunderland could see £9.5m bid accepted to sign “aggressive” star

Sunderland hit the jackpot when they swooped to sign experienced central midfielder Granit Xhaka from Bayer Leverkusen for a fee of £13m last summer.

The Switzerland international, who played 297 times for Arsenal in his first spell in England, brought quality and experience to Regis Le Bris‘ side in the middle of the park.

Xhaka ended the season with 34 appearances, one goal, and six assists in the Premier League for the Black Cats, as he used his technical quality and creativity to open doors for his side.

He helped Sunderland to qualify for the Europa League by finishing seventh in the division, and their qualification for European football could make it vital that they find a back-up for him.

The veteran midfielder turns 34 in September and Le Bris may be wary of overplaying him with 38 games in the Premier League and at least eight matches in Europe to contend with.

Sunderland eyeing move for new central midfielder

Sunderland’s 2-1 win over Chelsea at the Stadium of Light on the final day of the season secured European football for the club, and they must now build a squad to contend with the extra games.

Now, the Black Cats are reportedly keen on a player who could arrive on Wearside as the ideal back-up to their captain and star player next season.

According to journalist Sebstien Vidal, Sunderland are one of the teams eyeing up a deal to sign Charleroi central midfielder Yassine Titraoui in the upcoming summer transfer window.

The reporter claims that the Belgian side are looking for a fee of around £9.5m for the 22-year-old talent, which means that the Black Cats could see a bid of less than £10m accepted for his services.

Vidal adds, though, that Ligue 1 outfit Marseille are also interested in signing the Algerian midfield star, providing competition for his signature in the off-season.

Titraoui, however, is said to be attracted to the idea of playing in the Premier League and the Europa League next season, which could give Sunderland the advantage in this race.

How Yassine Titraoui can be Sunderland’s next Granit Xhaka

The Black Cats will have to carefully manage Xhaka’s minutes next season to balance domestic and European football, and the Charleroi star could be the perfect signing to allow them to do that.

At the age of 22, he is 11 years younger than the Switzerland international and could initially join as a back-up to the skipper, mainly starting in European games and midweek Premier League matches to provide Xhaka with an opportunity to rest.

Titraoui’s form in the Pro League this season suggests that he has the potential to be Le Bris’ own mini version of the former Leverkusen star, if he can adapt to English football, due to his qualities on and off the ball.

Xhaka and the £9.5m-rated midfielder produced very similar numbers defensively and had almost identical xA, although Sunderland’s forwards were more clinical with their chances than Charleroi’s were.

This suggests that Titraoui has the quality on the ball to be a creative force for Sunderland in the same way that the Swiss maestro is, unlocking opposition defences with inventive passes.

The Algeria international, who was described as “aggressive” by youth football expert Alfred Frank, is also a strong player out of possession for his side in the middle of the park, averaging almost three tackles and interceptions per game.

He has the mobility and the physicality to disrupt opposition attacks on a regular basis, which is exactly what Xhaka does for Sunderland, and that is another reason why he would be an excellent addition to Le Bris’ squad this summer.

Titraoui is unproven in the Premier League and still a young player with time left ahead of him to learn, so he should not be expected to be an instant star at the Stadium of Light, which is why he would be the ideal signing to fill this gap in the squad.

The 22-year-old talent can act as Xhaka’s understudy, filling in when the veteran star needs a rest, and be the manager’s mini version of the Swiss star.