Former Switzerland assistant coach Giorgio Contini has hit out at recent Granit Xhaka transfer talk, claiming all focus should be on their World Cup knockout clash with Algeria. The criticism comes after Sunderland turned down an £8m bid from Xabi Alonso and Chelsea for the club captain, insisting the influential midfielder is not for sale.
Sunderland Rejects Chelsea's Bid
The Black Cats were left insulted by the size of the fee, with Chelsea unwilling to spend more on the 33-year-old due to his age. There's been speculation that Chelsea will return to the negotiating table, though Sunderland have made it clear any future approaches will be rejected outright.
Now, Contini, who works for Blick and was speaking on their podcast FORZA!, was not happy with the timing of the transfer talk. The former assistant coach said: "What bothers me is that these things are happening during the World Cup. Granit is very focused and can block that out, but we should be talking about the upcoming opponent, Algeria, not Chelsea. I’m not interested in what Granit does after the World Cup right now."
Contini Understands Chelsea's Appeal
However, the former Swiss international admits he can understand the appeal for Xhaka. He added: "Chelsea aren’t just any club. And if I were Xabi Alonso and had the opportunity to sign Granit Xhaka, I would do it."
Xhaka has found himself at the centre of a storm back in his native country following Switzerland's 1-1 draw with Qatar in the opening game of their World Cup group stages. Blick claimed the atmosphere in the Swiss dressing room was toxic due to the behaviour of the Sunderland midfielder, after strong criticism of the team.
Xhaka Focuses on World Cup
However, in an interview with the same paper, Xhaka was asked about his future and made it clear his entire focus was on the World Cup. He 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."
