Premier League clubs spent over £3bn on new players last summer but Wayne Rooney believes a £17m acquisition has proved to be the ‘signing of the season’.
Top-flight clubs smashed the previous record for the most spent in a single transfer window, with defending champions Liverpool the biggest spenders.
Arne Slot welcomed over £400m on new talent to Anfield but the arrivals have not had the desired effect, with Liverpool’s title defence already hanging by a thread.
Liverpool twice broke their own transfer record, first signing Florian Wirtz for £116m and then buying Alexander Isak for £125m.
Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester United and Newcastle United also spent heavily over the summer, each laying out more than £200m on transfers.
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For all that cash splashed, Rooney has named Sunderland’s £17m signing Granit Xhaka as the ‘signing of the season’.
The Black Cats signed Xhaka from Bayer Leverkusen after gaining promotion from the Championship via the play-offs.
Most pundits feared for Sunderland but Regis Le Bris’ side have exceeded expectations, losing just two of their first 11 games to sit in the top-four going into the November international break.
Sunderland stunned Chelsea at Stamford Bridge at the end of last month and became just the third team to take points off Premier League leaders Arsenal at the weekend.
Ex-Gunners captain Xhaka has been integral to Sunderland’s successful return to the top-flight and Rooney heaped praise on the ‘fantastic’ signing.
‘Granit Xhaka has been fantastic,’ the Manchester United and England legend said on his BBC podcast. ‘He’s never been the quickest but he’s got that experience to just manage the game.
‘When he had the situation at Arsenal when he fell out with the fans, I think it showed his character to play for the club again and even captain the side.
‘To get through that and perform for Arsenal shows his mentality and then he went and won the Bundesliga title with Bayer Leverkusen.
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‘He’s shown what a good player he is. You wondered if he could still do it in the Premier League, especially at a promoted team, but he’s probably been the signing of the season, he’s been that brilliant.
‘It was a brave move to go to Sunderland despite them being a fantastic football club. Everyone tipped them to be relegated so he deserves credit for being up for that fight.
‘The fans love him and they will do with his performances on the pitch. It’s that desire and work-rate and influence he’s having on the other players.
‘He’s been incredible, I didn’t think he’d have a season like he’s having so far. Sunderland have a very young squad so he’ll almost be a father figure to some of the players and a big help to the coaches.
‘He probably is the best signing of the summer, for sure.’
Sunderland have taken 19 points from their first 11 Premier League games to sit fourth in the table during the November international break.
Just 26 points was enough to avoid relegation to the Championship last season. The Black Cats return to action against Fulham.
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