Chelsea have made a move to sign Granit Xhaka this summer but Sunderland have stood firm
An unexpected development, but on Wearside a most welcome one.
When news broke last weekend that Chelsea were moving for Granit Xhaka and that the midfielder was keen on the move, a sense of resignation quickly and understandably took hold. After 12 almost comically enjoyable and positive months, here was the inevitable reality check. This had all the hallmarks of a trademark big-six transfer market saga, edging inexorably towards a bitter exit. Little wonder that news of positive talks between Xhaka and Sunderland, which ended with the midfielder reaffirming his commitment to the club, came as a surprise to Chelsea.
It would of course be naive in the extreme to think that we have heard the last of this story; that the chapter has been definitively closed. From Chelsea’s perspective there remains a belief that a deal could happen, borne from the acknowledgement at Sunderland’s end that the opportunity to reunite with Xabi Alonso had been an attractive one to the midfielder.
There will be some Sunderland fans who understandably will feel a little bit differently about Xhaka now, a touch more wary and less prone to goosebumps when the footage of his post-match speech on final day pops up on their social media feeds. This, though, is Xhaka: an intensely emotional, passionate, driven character. When he’s in, he’s all in. If he has told the club that he is enthused by the prospect of leading the club into Europe, that he wants to build on the connection he has with Sunderland fans, then that means something.
In refusing to go down the road so comfortable to so many modern footballers, the transfer request and the strikes and the off-record briefings, Xhaka has shown there is something a little different about him after all.
Which is why for all Chelsea retain belief there is still a deal to be done, Friday’s developments were so significant. Sunderland held their nerve when an initial bid of £8 million was submitted, and their stance meant that one of two things had to happen. Either Chelsea had to lift that bid probably three-fold and then some, or Xhaka had to dig in his heels and make things incredibly uncomfortable. Sunderland’s confidence stems from the fact that their talks this week seem to have made clear that the latter is not going to happen.
It now seems unlikely in the extreme that the former will happen. Chelsea were expected to return this week with a second bid but it was widely understood that the level would be only a relatively minor improvement on that £8 million. It was simply never going to shift the needle. Sunderland have insisted from the moment the story initially broke that there was no valuation, though privately there will have been recognition that every player ultimately has their price. That theirs would in this case would be so high wasn’t posturing or an emotional reaction to the prospect of losing their talisman - it made genuine business sense. To get an idea of just how difficult it would be to replace Xhaka, take a look at statisticians Opta’s player radar. Their radar brings together a player’s key strengths on the pitch, and through that they can then establish players with a similar profile. Xhaka has a unique skillset, a player who posts solid defensive contributions with outrageously good creative passing numbers. Opta’s four closest equivalents are Real Sociedad’s Jon Gorrotxategi, Sassuolo’s Nemanja Matic, Brentford’s Vitaly Janelt and Sergi Altimira. None, for what it’s worth, fully match Xhaka’s creative output and all expect Matic would cost well in excess of the kind of numbers Chelsea have been talking out - Altimira has just joined Sporting Lisbon in a £15million plus deal. Sunderland would have been using money they need to strengthen other areas of their squad and when you factor in Xhaka’s immense off-pitch influence, still ending up weaker. Given what Xhaka is worth to the project in this upcoming campaign, it makes more sense to keep him and accept that his value in the transfer market will decline over the next year.
Sunderland are going to have to sell players, and at times they will be players that they do not want to lose. They are not immune to the forces of modern football and are under no illusions that they are. What they have demonstrated this week, however, is that they are capable of ensuring it is at least on their own terms.
What happens if Alonso makes another concerted push behind the scenes, or Chelsea’s pre-season starts poorly and the club changes their mind on its current valuation? No one can say for sure, though Sunderland are insistent that their stance will remain unchanged.
There’s one other point worth noting. Xhaka was never for sale but Florent Ghisolfi and Régis Le Bris place teamwork and unity behind the scenes above any other quality. Xhaka is, everyone would acknowledge, not always easy to manage and it’s precisely because of this that he is so highly valued. He has lifted standards at the club and helped cement the idea that there is no limit to its potential. If Sunderland are confident that the matter is resolved and that they can now move forward, then that means they are assured Xhaka is all in and ready to be a positive force once again.
Nothing in football is ever definitive, but this story has moved firmly in a direction that few saw coming this time a week ago. As we stand right now, we can say that Sunderland’s position is exceptionally strong and that for now at least, Xhaka has once again surprised everyone.
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