Sunderland have turned down an £8million offer from Chelsea for Granit Xhaka and told their Premier League rivals that the midfielder will not be sold this summer.
Xhaka has emerged as a surprise target for Chelsea in recent days with the club’s incoming manager, Xabi Alonso, keen to sign the Swiss midfielder who was an influential figure in the Bayer Leverkusen team he led to the Bundesliga title in 2024.
However, Sunderland are determined to keep hold of the former Arsenal captain — and have subsequently rebuffed an offer from Chelsea for Xhaka’s services.
The Athletic report that not only have Sunderland dismissed Chelsea’s £8m offer — which is described as ‘unacceptable’ — but they have also informed the Blues that Xhaka is not for sale at any price.
It remains to be seen where that leaves Xhaka, who, it is claimed, has already agreed personal terms with the Blues.
The 33-year-old only joined Sunderland last summer following their return to the Premier League in a deal worth £17.5m and promptly emerged as an influential figure in a team which surpassed all expectations in the Premier League, finishing seventh and qualifying for Europe.
Xhaka’s reported desire to return to London and reunite with Alonso marks a significant shift from comments he made as recently as last month, where he said that he and his family were happy in Sunderland and that he was “not even thinking” about a move.
View 2 ImagesXhaka enjoyed a stunning season with Sunderland after returning to the Premier League(Image: MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Xhaka told Blick: “For me, the most important thing is that my family is happy. And we are in Sunderland.
“I’m not even thinking about a transfer. I’m really happy to finally have a summer without any speculation about my future. That’s rarely been the case in recent years. This allows me to fully focus on the World Cup.”
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