Our Chelsea writers discuss and debate whether the Blues should continue their pursuit of Granit Xhaka after they saw an £8million offer turned down by Sunderland at the weekend
09:00, 30 Jun 2026
Chelsea target Granit Xhaka
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Xabi Alonso wants to bring Granit Xhaka to Chelsea(Image: Elysia Su/ISI Photos)
Chelsea's transfer business has exploded in the last week with the Blues now extremely busy in the summer window after a slow (ish) start.
The club's five-strong sporting leadership team are working in tandem with incoming manager Xabi Alonso, who begins his role officially this week, to help create the Spaniard a competitive squad. Alonso is being allowed more power and control than his predecessors when it comes to Chelsea's transfer business - and that much is clear to see with what happened over the weekend.
Chelsea saw an £8million offer turned down by Sunderland for midfielder Granit Xhaka. Sources close to the Black Cats were astounded by the figure the Blues put on the table. Xhaka himself is said to be keen on reuniting with Alonso, who is driving Chelsea's interest in the Switzerland midfielder, who he worked with during their time at Bayer Leverkusen.
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Should Chelsea back Alonso and improve their offer, or should they walk away now? Bobby Vincent and Jake Stokes, our Chelsea writers, are in agreement over what the Blues should do next:
Bobby Vincent
For me, as long as Chelsea didn't upset the apple cart too much in terms of angering Sunderland, this is a no-brainer. Chelsea should improve on their £8m offer for Xhaka.
The 33-year-old midfielder is vastly experienced at the top level, he has eight major honours to his name, he has a fantastic relationship with Alonso, and, crucially, he remains a brilliant player. Xhaka showed that last season where he shone for Sunderland in their return to the top flight and helped the Black Cats, remarkably, secure European football.
If Chelsea were to sign Xhaka, I do not believe he should be starting every week but his contributions would prove invaluable over the course of the season. Not only on the pitch, but off it as well. He could become a second manager, of sorts, under Alonso.
Chelsea should increase their bid because even though Sunderland insist he is not for sale, we know how that can change in football. Especially if the player himself wants the move away.
Granit Xhaka
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Granit Xhaka is of interest to Chelsea(Image: Jared C. Tilton - FIFA)
Jake Stokes
Chelsea should absolutely sign Xhaka. The Sunderland midfielder would be an excellent addition to Xabi Alonso's squad, bringing some much-needed experience at the very highest level, aggressive leadership, tactical nous, and, most importantly, top quality.
Although I wouldn't like to see the Blues pay over the odds for his signature, I think a bid in the region of £20m would be excused for such a symbolic move. Such an offer would make Xhaka the third-most-expensive player aged 33 or older in the world, behind only Robert Lewandowski and Cristiano Ronaldo.
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I think that's pretty significant. Not only would the Swiss' arrival mark a significant shift in the BlueCo approach of essentially harvesting young players, but it would also show that they've understood the importance of building a balanced squad and heeding the demands of a head coach – or in this case under Alonso, a manager.
By signing Xhaka, the higher-ups at Stamford Bridge would be offering supporters a token of renewed hope. Of course, there's still plenty of work to be done – on and off the pitch – but it's a step in the right direction.