Xhaka Transfer Standoff
Chelsea Pushes For Granit Xhaka Deal As Sunderland Maintains Midfielder Is Not For Sale
Key Points
Sunderland publically stated there has been no club-to-club contact with Chelsea and that Granit Xhaka is not for sale.
Chelsea reportedly reached a full personal-terms agreement with Xhaka and have moved to club-to-club negotiations, with Xabi Alonso pushing the move.
Transfer fee discussions remain unsettled, with reports placing the eventual cost anywhere from about £17m to £25m, and no formal bid having been submitted yet.
Xabi Alonso’s history with Xhaka at Bayer Leverkusen underpins the potential reunion, highlighting Alonso’s leadership style and his desire to bring experienced, tempo-setting players into Chelsea’s midfield.
Chelsea’s broader transfer activity at the time includes Marco Palestra undergoing a medical ahead of a reported £50m move from Atalanta, indicating a wider midfield refresh strategy.
Chelsea have agreed personal terms with Sunderland captain Granit Xhaka, with manager Xabi Alonso personally pushing for the 33-year-old midfielder to join Stamford Bridge, according to Sky Germany and Fabrizio Romano. The move would reunite Alonso with the Swiss international who was the engine of his invincible Bayer Leverkusen side that won the Bundesliga title in 2024.
Sunderland have pushed back hard. Sky Sports reports the club has received "no club-to-club contact" from Chelsea and insists Xhaka is simply "not for sale." The Black Cats signed him just last summer for £13 million — rising to £17.3 million with add-ons — and he led them to Europa League qualification in their first season back in the top flight.
Alonso's Express Request Drives the Pursuit
Chelsea officially appointed Xabi Alonso as manager on May 17, 2026, handing him more control over transfers than any previous head coach under the BlueCo ownership, according to Football Transfers. One of his first acts was an "express request" for Xhaka — a direct call to the club to pursue his former midfield leader. Journalist Luca Cerchione reported an opening bid of €30 million (around £26 million) was lodged on June 27.
The reasoning is straightforward. Chelsea finished 10th in 2025/26 with a squad averaging just 23.8 years of age, one of the youngest in the Premier League, according to Sky Sports. Alonso wants a proven leader who can set the tempo, organize the press, and provide authority in the dressing room. Kaveh Solhekol of Sky Sports put it plainly: "There is no better candidate to slot into his system immediately."
Sunderland's European Ambitions Raise the Price Tag
Sunderland have little reason to sell. The club qualified for the Europa League for the first time in decades, and Xhaka — contracted until June 2028 — is the heartbeat of that project. Sporting Director Kristjaan Speakman once called Xhaka's arrival a "significant endorsement" of the club's ambitions, according to The Guardian. Losing their captain before their European debut would, as fans on r/soccer put it, "gut the project."
The gap between buyer and seller remains wide. Chelsea's reported opening offer sits at around £26 million. The Northern Echo notes Sunderland view even a £25 million valuation as too low given their leverage. The Black Cats paid £13 million for Xhaka last summer, so any sale would still represent a profit — but the club has shown no desire to negotiate.
A Leverkusen Reunion Years in the Making
Xhaka joined Bayer Leverkusen from Arsenal in July 2023 for €25 million and quickly became indispensable under Alonso. The pair won an unbeaten Bundesliga title and the DFB-Pokal in May 2024, according to Sky Sports. Xhaka played 34 times for Sunderland in 2025/26, scoring once and adding six assists — proof he has lost none of his quality at 33.
Fabrizio Romano reports Xhaka is "ready to accept any contract condition" to return to London and work under Alonso again. That player-side push matters. It means Chelsea do not need to sell the move to Xhaka — the hard part is convincing Sunderland. No formal written bid has been submitted yet, and the two clubs have not held direct talks as of June 27, 2026.
Chelsea's Wider Midfield Overhaul Already Underway
Xhaka is not the only piece of Alonso's rebuild. Marco Palestra, a 22-year-old Italian wing-back, underwent a medical in London on June 25-26 ahead of a reported £47–£50 million move from Atalanta, according to OneFootball. The contrast is deliberate — Palestra brings youth and energy, while Xhaka would bring experience and control. Together, they reflect Alonso's plan to balance a very young squad.
If Chelsea do land Xhaka at around £26 million, it would mark a clear shift away from BlueCo's previous "youth-only" transfer model. A €30 million fee for a 33-year-old would also rank among the most expensive transfers ever for a player over 32, according to Transfermarkt. The saga is far from over — but Alonso's influence over Chelsea's recruitment is already impossible to ignore.
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