Chelsea have reached a full agreement on personal terms with Sunderland midfielder Granit Xhaka as they continue to reshape their squad. Negotiations with Xhaka’s representatives moved at an incredibly rapid pace, with the player fully agreeing to the contractual package proposed by the Blues. With the green light secured from the midfield general, Chelsea have immediately established formal contact with Sunderland to hammer out the details of a club-to-club agreement and hand Xabi Alonso a second signing ahead of his first season at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea’s swoop for Xhaka is being driven by Alonso. The Spanish tactician, who is set to officially assume the reins on July 1, has reportedly made Xhaka a top target, and it is not hard to see why. Alonso knows the midfielder inside out; the duo achieved great success during the 2023-24 campaign at Bayer Leverkusen, where Xhaka served as Alonso’s on-field general during their historic unbeaten Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal double.
Sunderland, however, are expected to provide stiff resistance in the negotiation room. Xhaka was arguably the Black Cats’ standout player last season after completing a shock £17 million move from Germany, registering a goal and six assists to guide Regis Le Bris’ side to an astonishing seventh-place finish and a historic Europa League qualification. Having only signed a three-year contract at the Stadium of Light last summer, the newly crowned Sunderland Player of the Season will not be allowed to leave cheaply. Xhaka is currently on international duty at the World Cup, where he has played all three matches to help his side progress into the round of 16.