Sunderland captain Granit Xhaka is set to lead the club in the upcoming campaign...

Kevin Kilbane has argued that Sunderland retaining the services of captain Granit Xhaka this summer could prove to be “massive” for their prospects over the coming months.

The Black Cats managed to fend off strong interest in their skipper from Chelsea earlier in the transfer window, and off the back of that development, Kilbane has claimed that they are now well-placed to once again thrive in the Premier League.

Speaking exclusively to The Echo, courtesy of BetTom, the pundit said: “The key for me was always going to be keeping hold of Granit Xhaka. It looked like he was gone to Chelsea, so in keeping hold of Xhaka...

“And I watched him really up close at this World Cup as well. I was sat alongside Atiba Hutchinson, who's Canada's all-time record appearance maker. Atiba was just amazed at how he controlled the game without even being on the ball at times - how he was pulling players out of position, his game know-how. He almost has a robotic mind of the pitch as he's playing. He seems to compute everything that's happening in every position, in every aspect of the pitch. I was so impressed with him this summer.

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“So for Sunderland to keep hold of him, I think that is massive, I genuinely do. I think with Xhaka in there, they’ll be a success this year. I think they can absolutely look to a top-10 finish again this year. But the Europa League will be tough for them to try to get the balance and the results in the two.”

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