We are not selling — Ten Hag blocks ex-Arsenal star's return to EPL

Erik Ten Hag fired back at Granit Xhaka's agent, stating that the Switzerland national team captain was not for sale, as they have closed all exits for the summer. 

Jose Noguera, the man handling the affairs of the former Arsenal star, told Sky Sports that they had already accepted an offer from Sunderland and would like to leave Leverkusen. 

“We have reached a basic agreement with Sunderland," Xhaka's agent said. "We hope that Leverkusen will respect his wish to leave and that the clubs will reach an agreement soon."

Xhaka joined Leverkusen in the summer of 2023 and is still on a contract with the club until 2028. The Germans have the leverage in this situation and are insisting that the former Basel midfielder is not for sale. 

New coach Ten Hag addressed the situation in a recent press conference, stating clearly that they consider Xhaka untouchable and will not be pressured into selling him. 

“The agent of Xhaka can say whatever he wants, but this club has already let three important players go, and we won't let any more go,” he said. “Granit is a leader; he still has three years left on his contract here.“

As the Dutch tactician said, Leverkusen have lost three crucial players this window: Jonathan Tah, Florian Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong. They also lost their head coach, Xabi Alonso, who left to join Real Madrid.