EXCLUSIVE: Chelsea saw an £8m bid for Sunderland AFC skipper Granit Xhaka swiftly rebuffed at the weekend, the Black Cats eager to keep a hold their most influential player as they look to Europa League football
Granit Xhaka applauds
Granit Xhaka has been linked with Chelsea(Image: Getty Images)
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Stefan Schwarz wholeheartedly believes that Granit Xhaka will be playing in the red and white stripes of Sunderland AFC when 2026/27 gets underway.
That's despite a wealth of interest from Chelsea at the time of writing. Xabi Alonso is thought to be pushing for a move for the 33-year-old Black Cats skipper, with hopes of reliving their glory days at Bayer Leverkusen in 2024. That season saw Die Werkself go undefeated in the Bundesliga and DFB Pokal, as they clinched their first two pieces of silverware in 30 years in dramatic fashion.
And with Alonso recently taking up tenure as Chelsea manager for the new season following the dismissal of Liam Rosenior, the Spaniard has a number of key names he hopes to bring to Stamford Bridge with him. At the top of that list seemingly sits Xhaka, who is currently enjoying a remarkable World Cup campaign with Switzerland off the back of a legacy-defining season with Sunderland.
The midfielder arrived at the Stadium of Light last summer in a shock £17.5million move, and his impact was instant - guiding the Black Cats to a seventh-place finish in their first season back in the Premier League after eight years of hurt in the Championship and depths of League One.
That also meant that Sunderland secured European football for just the second time in their history, their last dance under the bright lights landing way back in 1973, following their historic 1-0 FA Cup win over Leeds United under Bob Stokoe's management.
As a result, Xhaka has seen a wealth of interest, with Chelsea even approaching at the weekend with an 'insulting' £8m bid for his services for the new season. While that sum may be a good price for any other player who is set to hit 34 in September, Xhaka is an exception.
A club captain for both Sunderland and Switzerland, he was instrumental to the success saw on the banks of the River Wear for the duration of last season, the Black Cats looking less confident and composed without him when he was injured, as well as struggling for chance creation.
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As a result, Sunderland value their player at around £34m at present, according to rumours, in a clear message that the lifeblood of Regis Le Bris' first-team is not for sale. And if Schwarz's assessment of the current situation is anything to go by, then Sunderland fans have nothing to worry about in terms of losing their star man.
Speaking exclusively to Chronicle Live via William Hill, who are providing the latest World Cup odds, the Sunderland and Arsenal legend said: "A lot of the success of Sunderland, a part of it was Xhaka - with his experience, knowledge.
"He brought the belief, he brought the calmness when they played, and he brought the purpose as well. Not just him, but I love how the organisation, from the chairman and so on, to recruiting players, recruiting department, the supporters, the new players, how they settled in, how they understood the club and the area.
"But Xhaka was fantastic, very solid, consistency. And, of course, Xabi Alonso knows him from the time in Leverkusen and his time from Arsenal as well. So maybe it's not a surprise, but I think Sunderland has a very interesting season coming up with European football and Europa League.
Stefan Schwarz speaks with Chronicle Live
Stefan Schwarz spoke with Chronicle Live(Image: Chronicle Live)
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"The demand of the players will be much more, more games, less rest. So we need all the good players, all the experienced players who have been there, done it. And I believe an important piece of Sunderland's good season next year is, if possible, to have him in the team.
"[It] would be fantastic news for all Sunderland. I count on him to be there at the start of the season, be the professional. I think he can't be in a better place than Sunderland, really, because it's a different club. The love he gets from the supporters and their respect, I think it's very beautiful what they have done."
Schwarz shares an incredibly similar career with Xhaka historically, in that the 57-year-old has represented both Sunderland and Arsenal. He enjoyed a year in North London between 1994 and 1995, before rounding off his career in the North East between 1999 and 2003. Also a midfielder, the Swede was a part of Peter Reid's back-to-back seventh-place Premier League finishes in 2000 and 2001.
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