Alan Shearer has hit out at the Chelsea board for their 'embarrassing' bid for Sunderland star and former Arsenal captain Granit Xhaka. Xhaka has emerged as a target for incoming Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso, who worked with the midfielder while the pair were at Bayer Leverkusen.
Alonso and Xhaka's Previous Success
Alonso and Xhaka combined to help Leverkusen win a historic Bundesliga title in 2023-2024, a season in which the German club were unbeaten in the league with 28 wins and six draws. Xhaka, who was previously captain of Arsenal, again proved his worth last season for newly-promoted Sunderland, who exceeded expectations to finish in the top-half of the Premier League.
Chelsea's Bid and Sunderland's Response
Chelsea submitted an £8m bid for Xhaka last week but were immediately rebuffed by Sunderland, who deemed the offer to be disrespectful and reiterated their stance that the 33-year-old is not for sale. Ex-England striker and Premier League record goalscorer Shearer also believes the offer was 'ridiculous' given Xhaka's importance to Sunderland following his £17m arrival.
'Sunderland bought Granit Xhaka for £17m and he was one of the best players in this Premier League last season,' Shearer told Betfair. 'He wasn't just one of the best players at Sunderland, but in the Premier League. And Chelsea think they can come in and offer less than half of what they bought him for and think that's acceptable? I mean, that's bizarre to me.'
Shearer's Criticism
'I understand that he might want to go, but if he wants to go and clearly his agent has done some talking to Chelsea, then I mean it's a pretty embarrassing bid when a year earlier he cost £17m and he's been one of the best players in the league. It's embarrassing from Chelsea, really. I mean, they're clearly not getting him for that amount.'
'Why would you sell a player for less than half that he cost when he's been one of the best players? I mean, it's ridiculous,' Shearer added.
Improved Offer Expected
While Chelsea angered Sunderland with their opening offer for Xhaka, they are expected to return with an improved bid, according to The Athletic. Xhaka, who played for Arsenal between 2016 and 2023, is keen to move to Stamford Bridge given his previous relationship with Alonso and their status as one of the biggest clubs in the Premier League.
Joe Cole's Endorsement
Chelsea legend Joe Cole has endorsed the Blues' move for Xhaka, insisting he 'likes everything about it'. 'Going after Xhaka is a good sign for Chelsea fans because it shows that the handcuffs of only signing young players and developing them are now off,' Cole told Paddy Power.
'It seems they're making good positive strides. He seems like the right character for the dressing room. He did a great job at Sunderland last year. He was brilliant at Bayer Leverkusen. He was even a leader at Arsenal. I like the fact that they're backing Xabi Alonso. I like everything about it.'
Xhaka is currently at the World Cup with Switzerland, who face Algeria in their last-32 clash on Friday.
