Chelsea have suffered an early setback in their pursuit of Granit Xhaka after Sunderland rejected the Blues’ opening offer for the experienced midfielder.
According to reports reaching Softfootball, Chelsea submitted an official bid worth £8 million in an attempt to reunite Xhaka with incoming manager Xabi Alonso at Stamford Bridge.
However, Sunderland immediately turned down the proposal, describing it as “unacceptable” and making it clear that the Switzerland international is not for sale at any price.
The Black Cats reportedly viewed Chelsea’s offer as lacking respect for both the club and the 33-year-old midfielder, who remains under contract until 2028. Sunderland have also informed Chelsea they will not entertain any further bids and expect the Premier League rivals to respect Xhaka’s current deal.
Chelsea’s interest is being driven by Alonso, who is keen to reunite with Xhaka after their hugely successful spell together at Bayer Leverkusen. The pair won both the Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal during the memorable 2023/24 campaign.
Despite Chelsea believing their valuation is fair, Sunderland remain firm in their stance, leaving the Blues facing a major obstacle if they hope to secure Alonso’s priority midfield target this summer.
