Chelsea have taken Sunderland by surprise by making Granit Xhaka a summer transfer target. Standard Sport understands that the Blues are interested in signing the Swiss midfielder, who is keen on a move to Stamford Bridge. Chelsea’s valuation of the player is lower than has been suggested in some reports, due to the fact that he turns 34 in September and has two years left on his contract at the Stadium of Light.
Sunderland's stance
Sunderland consider Xhaka not for sale and say Chelsea have made no club-to-club approach as yet. The Black Cats captain has spent just one season on Wearside since his return to the Premier League, helping the newly-promoted side finish seventh and qualify for the Europa League.
Alonso's influence
Chelsea’s interest in Xhaka has come directly from new manager Xabi Alonso, who takes the reins and officially begins his role next week. The Spaniard is hoping a deal can be agreed. Alonso was in charge of Bayer Leverkusen in 2024, where Xhaka had a huge influence on the German side’s Bundesliga title-winning campaign as they went unbeaten. The Switzerland international has been lauded this season for his similar impact at Sunderland.
Change in transfer strategy
If Chelsea were able to pull off the move, it would signify the change in transfer direction from the club’s recruitment team that had been anticipated. Since their 2022 takeover by the BlueCo consortium, the west Londoners have signed young players almost exclusively. Xhaka would be a departure from that. Internally, it was discussed throughout this season that a greater level of leadership was needed within the squad. Xhaka is Sunderland’s captain, and would bring a wealth of experience and Premier League nous to the Blues’ engine room.
