Granit Xhaka has been linked with a shock move to Chelsea as of late, with the Blues even seeing an 'insulting' £8m bid rejected over the weekend
Granit Xhaka wipes his head
Granit Xhaka has been linked with a move to Chelsea(Image: Getty Images)
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Select Sunderland AFC fans will have undoubtedly taken pleasure in seeing Alexander Isak's dramatic transfer saga unfold last summer, given just how important the Swedish striker was to their bitter rivals.
It seemed a case of sunshine and rainbows on Tyneside as Newcastle United wrapped up a historic domestic season, clinching their first piece of silverware in 60 long years in the form of the Carabao Cup with a 2-1 win over Liverpool.
Having played a major part in the victory by scoring the winning goal, as well as a respectable fifth-place finish in the Premier League, Isak seemed incredibly settled at St James' Park, no doubts in the minds of supporters that they would see more of the same from their marksman in 2025/26.
Then, seemingly out of nowhere, the news broke that Isak was unsettled and pushing for a move to a 'bigger club.' The news rushed through the Toon quicker than shoppers at the Metro Centre on a Black Friday, stunning loyal Magpies fans who, at first, probably played it off as 'just another vicious rumour to unsettle the club.'
That soon took a turn when Isak was dropped from Eddie Howe's pre-season tour, and instead opted to train alone at his former club in Real Sociedad, while reports suggested that the player had said he would never play for Newcastle again. All of a sudden, things got incredibly real, as Liverpool shared an interest in Isak which was reciprocated by the No. 9.
'Rat, snake, Judas,' the names came thick and fast as Newcastle fans felt betrayed by Isak's actions behind closed doors and away from the public eye. How could a player who seemingly loved the fans and the club act in such betrayal?
Isak ultimately ended up securing a £125million move to Liverpool on Deadline Day, while United opted to bring in replacements in the form of Nick Woltemade and Yoane Wissa, as Isak went from the talk of the town to someone who's name was treated in the same vein as Lord Voldemort from the Harry Potter franchise... simply not said under any circumstances.
Alexander Isak smiles
Alexander Isak moved to Liverpool last summer(Image: Newcastle United via Getty Images)
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I recall chatting candidly with Dimitar Berbatov last August with regards to the Isak debacle, and after our interview, he told me that Sunderland could face a similar scenario of being ram raided by those who sit up the proverbial pecking order should they impress enough.
At the time, I laughed it off. 'Sunderland would never...'
But unfortunately, that Bulgarian goal machine was right. After another couple of months of the rumour mill churning out speculation on Sandro Tonali, Bruno Guimaraes, Lewis Hall and Tino Livramento, the news dropped.
'Granit Xhaka and Chelsea have already reached a full verbal agreement over a transfer...'
Less than a month after guiding Sunderland AFC to a seventh place finish in the Premier League, and securing Europa League football, Sunderland's club captain had privately told Chelsea that he wants a move to reunite with Xabi Alonso - a manager who he shared an abundance of success with at Bayer Leverkusen just two years ago.
Social media went into overdrive immediately, X flooded with excited Blues fans and irate Sunderland fans, considering the 33-year-old gave a heartfelt speech to fans inside the Stadium of Light on the last day of the season - a game the Black Cats won 2-1 against Chelsea - explaining how: "This is just the beginning."
Granit Xhaka applauds
Could Granit Xhaka be on the way out?(Image: Richard Sellers/PA Wire)
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Things took an even darker turn when Chelsea approached with an initial offer of £8m to take Xhaka off Sunderland's hands, an insulting gesture which was swiftly turned away while executives informed the West London club that he is not for sale under any circumstances - under contract until 2028 and too important to let go.
A couple of days on, and it's been a case of radio silence. There has been no public comment from Xhaka or Sunderland on matters, as fans are left in the dark, sweating over potentially losing their most valuable player to a side who will not be taking part in any form of European competition next term. A real kick in the teeth.
However, maybe losing Xhaka wouldn't be such a bad thing for Sunderland fans, if recent history is anything to go off...
A phoenix has already risen from the ashes
Sunderland fans, I ask you to look back to last summer when the club announced that they had agreed a season-long loan deal with Chelsea for Marc Guiu. Regis Le Bris was in dire need for firepower considering Eliezer Mayenda and Wilson Isidor had no experience at the highest level headed into 2025/26 - one of the most important seasons in the club's recent history after eight long years split in the Championship and League one.
Guiu was thought to be the answer to that problem, as supporters across Wearside rejoiced at the prospect of landing a Europa Conference League proven striker, albeit on a temporary basis while they found their feet in the big league.
Fans were already getting the 20-year-old's name printed on the back of their new shirts, highlight reels were frequenting social media, the Red and White Army were content. Then, after just three appearances, Chelsea made the decision to recall the striker, as a result of needing cover for first-team injuries of their own.
Marc Guiu challenges for the ball
Marc Guiu was recalled by Chelsea(Image: PA)
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Liam Delap had sustained an issue with his hamstring, and was faced with a lengthy absence as a result. And given Nicolas Jackson had been shipped off to Bayern Munich in a lucrative £70.5m dependent on a season-long loan, Chelsea looked sincerely threadbare in terms of attack.
As a result, Sunderland were asked to consider allowing Guiu to return to his parent club, despite Enzo Maresca's Blues holding no early recall option. Sunderland ultimately agreed, with Guiu making the move back to West London on Deadline Day and leaving the Black Cats scrambling for a striker once more.
The outlook looked bleak. While Sunderland had brought in Xhaka, Habib Diarra, Noah Sadiki, Chemsdine Talbi, Arthur Masuaku, Nordi Mukiele, Simon Adingra, Robin Roefs, Reinildo, Omar Alderete and Lutsharel Geertruida, one vital component was missing in the form of a proven goalscorer.
Enter, Brian Brobbey. In a late, late, late turn of events, Sunderland managed to secure the services of Brobbey on a five-year contract from Ajax - a club where he scored 56 goals and 24 assists in 163 appearances overall.
Brian Brobbey is challenged
Brian Brobbey was a revelation for Sunderland(Image: Owen Humphreys/PA Wire)
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Of course, it took the Netherlands international a little while to settle into his new surroundings, his first contribution coming in the form of an assist to Talbi against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in the October, with his maiden goal coming against Arsenal just two matches later.
Fast forward to July 2026, and Brobbey managed seven Premier League goals and an assist from his first season with Sunderland, but has offered so much more than simple statistics. The 24-year-old has transformed the Black Cats' style of play with his stellar hold-up, deceptive pace, aerial threat and undeniable strength - a real handful for opposition defences across England.
And as a result, surprise, surprise, Brobbey has been linked with a wealth of clubs in the current window, albeit looks all but certain to remain at Sunderland for the new season. But how did Guiu fare in 2025/26?
To put it simply, 10 appearances, no goals, one assist. It's for this exact reason that Sunderland fans have nothing to worry about should Chelsea come in with an offer that Sunderland deem too hot to turn down, and in the event that Xhaka publicly tells fans he wants away from the club.
Kyril Louis-Dreyfus smiles
Kyril Louis-Dreyfus has run Sunderland incredibly(Image: Getty Images)
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Kyril Louis-Dreyfus is at the helm, and although he's just 28-years-old, clearly knows how to handle his business. A long-standing mantra among Sunderland fans since the Swiss-Frenchman acquired the club in 2023 has been 'trust the model, trust the process.'
Along with Florent Ghisolfi, KLD has already proven that he won't buckle under pressure, will hold his ground, and has plans A-Z in the event of any scenario. Should Xhaka make the move this summer, fans should trust that the board will already have their next steps well in place and act accordingly.
And while it might seem highly unlikely on the face of things considering the calibre of player that the club captain is, they will no doubt have their fingers on the trigger to bring in someone else equally as able, if not better - as proven in the case of Guiu.