Sunderland has shut the door on Chelsea’s attempt to pry away Granit Xhaka, rejecting an £8 million bid (roughly $10.6 million) that the club reportedly deemed “insulting.” The 33-year-old Swiss international, widely regarded as one of the Premier League’s standout performers, isn’t going anywhere. At least not at that price.
Here’s the thing: Sunderland paid £17.5 million to acquire Xhaka. Offering less than half that for a player under contract until June 2028 is the transfer market equivalent of trying to buy a house for the price of the garage. Former Newcastle and England legend Alan Shearer didn’t mince words, criticizing Chelsea’s lowball valuation of a midfielder he considers among the league’s best.
Why Chelsea wants Xhaka, and why Sunderland won’t budge
Chelsea’s interest traces directly back to new manager Xabi Alonso, who previously worked with Xhaka at Bayer Leverkusen. That partnership was successful enough that Alonso apparently wants to reunite in west London.
Xhaka has three years left on his deal, giving the club enormous leverage. The player himself hasn’t ruled out a move entirely, but he’s currently focused on the upcoming World Cup and has left contract matters to his representatives.
