Sunderland captain Granit Xhaka is the subject of interest from Premier League rivals Chelsea.
Granit Xhaka’s future at Sunderland has become the subject of ongoing speculation over recent days - and Black Cats fans aren’t the only ones frustrated by the situation.
The Swiss international was a somewhat surprise signing last summer after he agreed to return to the Premier League following a highly successful spell with Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen. The former Arsenal captain joined Die Werkself in 2023 and enjoyed a stellar first season at the BayArena as Xabi Alonso’s side were crowned as Bundesliga champions on the back of an unbeaten league campaign. Further success came in German Cup as Xhaka got the only goal in a final win against FC Kaiserslautern and only a defeat against Atalanta in the final of the Europa League prevented Bayer from claiming a historic treble.
Sunderland skipper Granit Xhaka.placeholder image
Sunderland skipper Granit Xhaka. | Getty Images.
Xhaka spent one further season in Germany before securing a move to Sunderland and his first year on Wearside proved to be an overwhelming success as his nous and leadership helped guide Regis Le Bris’ side to a seventh place finish and land a place in this season’s Europa League. His form has sparked interest from Premier League rivals Chelsea as new Blues boss Alonso looks to reunite with Xhaka at Stamford Bridge and recent reports have suggested Sunderland rejected a derisory £8m bid for the midfielder over the weekend.
The Black Cats remain adamant Xhaka is not for sale at any price - and one former Switzerland player and coach has aired his frustration over the situation as the Sunderland captain and his international team-mates focus on their World Cup finals round of 32 clash with Algeria.
He told Blick’s Forza podcast: “What bothers me is that these things are happening during the World Cup. Granit is very focused and can block that out, but we should be talking about the upcoming opponent, Algeria, not Chelsea. I’m not interested in what Granit does after the World Cup right now. Chelsea aren’t just any club. And if I were Xabi Alonso and had the opportunity to sign Granit Xhaka, I would do it.”
Continue Reading