Sunderland captain Granit Xhaka has reached an agreement to join Chelsea this summer, according to reports from Sky Sports Germany and Swiss outlet Blick. The 33-year-old midfielder, who spent seven seasons at Arsenal, returned to the Premier League last year after Sunderland agreed a deal with Bayer Leverkusen worth £13 million plus £4m in add-ons.
Xhaka’s impact at Sunderland
Xhaka quickly established himself as a key figure at Sunderland, helping Regis Le Bris’ side finish seventh in the Premier League. The Black Cats also secured qualification for the Europa League, highlighting the midfielder’s influence. Le Bris praised Xhaka’s professionalism, stating: ‘It’s a privilege to coach a player like Granit Xhaka, he’s so demanding with himself and he creates the condition to be demanding with others.’
Alonso’s request and Chelsea’s move
According to the reports, Xabi Alonso has asked Chelsea to sign Xhaka, and the midfielder has verbally agreed to make the move to Stamford Bridge. The two worked together at Bayer Leverkusen, where Xhaka became a pivotal player in Alonso’s side that went 51 games unbeaten and won the German league and cup double in 2024. Xhaka previously said of Alonso: ‘He is not a coach that is looking out for the names or status of players… He gives every player the chance to prove their importance to the team.’
Negotiations with Sunderland
Chelsea, however, are yet to reach an agreement with Sunderland over a transfer fee. The Black Cats are in a relatively strong negotiating position as Xhaka, who is captaining Switzerland at the World Cup this summer, still has two years remaining on his contract. The reported fee is £17 million, matching the total Sunderland paid for him a year ago.
Additional Chelsea business
Chelsea are also on the verge of completing a €60m (£51.6m) deal to sign Italian right-back Marco Palestra from Atalanta. The club continues to reshape its squad under the guidance of Enzo Maresca.
