Sunderland have been left furious after Chelsea made an £8 million bid for Granit Xhaka. The Black Cats skipper was a key player for Xabi Alonso at Bayer Leverkusen and is open to reuniting with his former boss at Stamford Bridge. However, Sunderland have not only rejected Chelsea's bid but also believe the fee offered is insulting and maintain that Xhaka is not for sale at any price this summer.
Xhaka's Role at Sunderland
The midfielder, who still has two years left on his deal, joined Sunderland last summer and played a major role in their Europa League qualification after promotion to the Premier League. Given that Xhaka is set to turn 34 in September, it is unlikely that Chelsea will want to pay a high fee for the midfielder. But looking at some of the fees the Blues have paid out since the club was taken over by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital in 2022, it's likely Chelsea would have to up their bid significantly before Sunderland would even consider allowing their captain to join his former manager in west London.
Xhaka and Alonso's Previous Success
Xhaka spent two seasons working under Alonso at Bayer Leverkusen, a period in which the club won the Bundesliga title without losing a single league match, lifted the DFB-Pokal, and reached the Europa League final. The 33-year-old holds the new Chelsea boss in high regard, having previously said: "He is not a coach that is looking out for the names or status of players, in terms of who is older or younger, or who has played more games. During the week, he is thinking about who deserves to play at the weekend because they are training well. He gives every player the chance to prove their importance to the team. I think to manage this is so difficult because you have different types of characters and nationalities, different languages. But he has this experience as a player to give confidence to everyone. That's why we performed like this as well."
Sunderland's Stance
Sunderland have made it clear that Xhaka is not for sale at any price, leaving Chelsea with a significant challenge if they hope to secure the midfielder. The Black Cats are determined to keep their captain, who has been instrumental in their recent success, and are unwilling to negotiate despite the player's desire to work with Alonso again.
