Sevilla’s English-language X account has cheekily waded into the ongoing Granit Xhaka transfer drama – taking a playful dig at Bayer Leverkusen after the Bundesliga club began blocking Sunderland fans online.

Xhaka's agent told Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg: “We’ve reached an agreement in principle with Sunderland. Granit wants to return to the Premier League. Sunderland excites him – he wants to take on this challenge. "We hope Leverkusen will respect his wish to leave and that the clubs will find an agreement soon.”

Sunderland are close to signing Granit Xhaka from Bayer Leverkusen; the 32-year-old has three years left on his Leverkusen deal; Xhaka has 137 caps for Switzerland and won the Bundesliga title with Leverkusen;

Why Sunderland fans are dreaming big as Granit Xhaka edges closer to sensational Stadium of Light move As Sunderland edge closer to the unthinkable – the signing of Granit Xhaka from Bayer Leverkusen – the excitement around Wearside is more than just about landing a top player.

Granit Xhaka is the latest name linked with a move to Sunderland AFC, as Regis Le Bris continues to ready the Black Cats for their first season back in the Premier League in almost a decade