Chelsea targets Granit Xhaka for Premier League return amid Sunderland negotiations

Sunderland told Chelsea that Granit Xhaka is not for sale at any price. Chelsea is expected to come back with a bigger number anyway.

The Blues have had an initial £8 million offer rejected for the 33-year-old Swiss midfielder, who captained Sunderland through their first Premier League season back and helped secure a seventh-place finish. Xhaka has reportedly reached a verbal agreement on personal terms with Chelsea and is eager to make the move, driven largely by one factor: Xabi Alonso.

The Alonso connection

Alonso, who officially begins his tenure as Chelsea manager on 1 July 2026, coached Xhaka for two years at Bayer Leverkusen. Alonso wants familiar faces as he rebuilds Chelsea’s midfield identity. Xhaka wants to work under the manager who helped him reach arguably the best form of his career in Germany.

Xhaka moved to Sunderland from Leverkusen on 30 July 2025 for a reported £13 million, plus £4 million in add-ons. He was handed the captain’s armband immediately. So when Chelsea comes knocking with £8 million, roughly half of what Sunderland paid just a year ago, you can understand why the Black Cats slammed the door shut.

What Xhaka delivered at Sunderland

Xhaka played 34 matches during the 2025/26 Premier League season, missing only four games all campaign. A seventh-place finish earned Sunderland Europa League qualification. Sunderland’s reluctance to sell makes sense: losing Xhaka would weaken them in both domestic and European competition simultaneously.

Born on 27 September 1992, Xhaka turns 34 in September 2026. For Chelsea, this is a bridge signing rather than a long-term investment — someone who steadies the ship while younger midfielders develop, and who already speaks Alonso’s tactical language from their two years together at Leverkusen.

Chelsea’s initial bid of £8 million falls well short of Sunderland’s total £17 million investment. Chelsea is expected to return with an improved offer, with the player reportedly wanting the move and Alonso pushing for his former midfielder.

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