Chelsea’s Granit Xhaka pursuit has sparked national debate after Sunderland rejected an opening bid
Chelsea’s pursuit of Granit Xhaka continues to dominate the conversation, with Sunderland’s stance now clear and the Blues expected to return with a fresh offer.
The Echo understands Sunderland would not welcome any offers for Xhaka, who is considered not for sale. The Black Cats have already rejected an opening Chelsea bid worth around £8million, with the midfielder under contract at the Stadium of Light until 2028.
That offer has been widely criticised, particularly given Sunderland paid £17million to sign Xhaka from Bayer Leverkusen last summer and the Switzerland international went on to captain the club to a seventh-place Premier League finish and Europa League qualification.
BBC Sport have framed Chelsea’s move for Xhaka as a major change in direction. They report that any successful move for the 33-year-old would represent a “radical shift” in the club’s transfer policy, given Chelsea have fielded the youngest team in the Premier League for the last two seasons and have not selected a player aged 30 or over during that time.
The BBC also point to the leadership issue at Chelsea, with the club’s hierarchy said to recognise that adjustments are needed in recruitment. Xhaka’s leadership and influence were among the qualities widely praised during his first season at Sunderland, and those traits appear central to Chelsea’s interest.
Fabrizio Romano has reported that Chelsea are planning a new move after their £8million bid was rejected. He claims Sunderland are not under pressure to sell and had been counting on Xhaka, but adds that Chelsea are expected to return because the player wants to join the Blues and reunite with Xabi Alonso.
Football.london were blunt on Chelsea’s opening offer, describing it as “embarrassing”. They argued that a fee north of £20million would be fair despite Xhaka’s age, pointing out that he was one of the signings of last season and is currently at a club that finished above Chelsea in the Premier League.
They also compared the situation to other recent midfield deals, including Arsenal’s move for Christian Norgaard and Joao Palhinha’s loan to Tottenham, to underline why Sunderland would expect significantly more than Chelsea’s opening bid.
TalkSPORT’s Alex Crook has claimed Sunderland feel Xhaka is trying to orchestrate an exit and suggested Chelsea will return with another offer. He added that the Black Cats are not happy with the situation.
The Athletic, meanwhile, report that Chelsea viewed their £8million proposal as fair because Xhaka turns 34 in September. Sunderland, however, are said to have rejected the approach immediately and regarded it as showing a “lack of respect”.
The same report claims Sunderland told Chelsea in clear terms that no further offers would be entertained, with the Black Cats hoping Chelsea will respect their position. Taken together, the national picture is clear. Chelsea want Xhaka, Xhaka is said to want the move, but Sunderland have dug in and are making it clear they do not want to sell their captain.
The next question is whether Chelsea respect that stance or test Sunderland’s resolve again. Given the noise around the deal, the expectation appears to be that they will return. If they do, Sunderland’s response will say plenty about both their valuation of Xhaka and how strongly they intend to hold the line.
Continue Reading