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Posted on June 30, 2026 3:00 am | Updated on June 29, 2026 5:58 pm Sunderland reject Chelsea’s £8m bid for Granit Xhaka, insisting he is not for sale.
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Sunderland have knocked back an opening Chelsea bid for Granit Xhaka, handing a blow to the latest transfer news around Xabi Alonso’s summer rebuild at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea’s £8 million offer falls well short
As reported by The Athletic, Chelsea put forward an £8 million bid to sign Xhaka from Sunderland over the weekend. Sunderland turned it down straight away and called the offer “unacceptable.” Sunderland see Chelsea’s approach as “lacking respect” for both the player and the club.
Xhaka has three years left on his deal, running until 2028, which gives Sunderland a very strong position to stand firm. Chelsea feel their offer is fair, but the Black Cats clearly disagree. TEAMtalk reported, Chelsea reached out to third parties first rather than contacting the club directly, which made things worse. Sunderland are “far from happy” with how Chelsea went about the whole approach from the very start.
Xhaka’s stats for the 2025-26 season, as per FOTMOB:
Competitions Matches Tackles Interceptions Duels Won%
Premier League 35 50 29 60%
FA Cup 2 0 3 60%
Alonso’s history with Granit Xhaka is driving this pursuit
Xabi Alonso is the main reason Chelsea are chasing a 33-year-old midfielder this summer. The two worked together at Bayer Leverkusen, where Granit Xhaka helped win the Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal double in 2023-24. As reported by FOTMOB, he averaged a pass accuracy of over 89 percent in that 2023-24 campaign, completed 4.3 progressive passes per game, and pressed with real intensity in the system Alonso built around him. Those numbers came from his Leverkusen days, but his 2025-26 stats at Sunderland tell a similar story of consistency and influence.
This move says a lot about how Chelsea are now doing their transfer business under Alonso, who is moving away from signing young and untested players. A midfielder with Xhaka’s range, leadership, and tactical discipline would fix a real problem in Chelsea’s Premier League midfield. Xabi Alonso has seen him perform at the highest level and knows his strengths inside out, which makes this the kind of signing that could quietly define Alonso’s first transfer window at Stamford Bridge. As reported by TEAMtalk, Xhaka is keen on the switch and has welcomed Chelsea’s interest.
Sunderland have every reason to keep him
Granit Xhaka joined Sunderland from Leverkusen last summer for a fee of up to £17.5 million, and he paid that back in full. He made 37 appearances this season, clocking over 3,000 minutes with one goal and six assists from midfield. He captained the side to a seventh-place finish, which earned Sunderland a spot in Europe for the first time in 53 years. That run included a final-day win over Chelsea, a result that sent the Stadium of Light into scenes not seen in years, pushing the Blues down to tenth in the table.
His seven years at Arsenal mean he knows what top-half football in England truly demands from a leader. Selling him now makes no real sense, either sporting or financial, especially for a fee as low as £8 million. Chelsea may come back with a bigger offer, but Sunderland have been clear that no deal will happen this summer.
Frankly, unless Chelsea come back with a fee closer to £30 million, this move looks dead before it ever had a chance to breathe. Xabi Alonso will need to move on and find other midfield targets fast, with the new season closing in.
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Deepanjali Bhardwaj
Deepanjali Bhardwaj is the Sports Editor at Six Sports, where she leads editorial coverage across cricket, football, and other major sporting events. She oversees newsroom operations, editorial planning, story development, and publishing standards while ensuring every article meets Six Sports' commitment to accuracy, transparency, and responsible journalism. She works closely with writers, editors, and contributors to deliver timely news, match reports, analysis, features, and explainers covering domestic and international competitions. Her editorial approach focuses on factual reporting, clear analysis, and reader-first journalism, helping audiences stay informed about the latest developments across the sporting world. As Sports Editor, Deepanjali plays a key role in maintaining the publication's editorial quality, consistency, and independence while guiding coverage of major leagues, tournaments, teams, and athletes.
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