Sunderland turn down Chelsea’s opening bid for Granit Xhaka

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·29 June 2026

Sunderland turn down Chelsea’s opening bid for Granit Xhaka

Sunderland have rejected Chelsea’s opening offer for midfielder Granit Xhaka.

The Athletic reports that the bid was just £eight million, less than half the fee Sunderland paid when signing him from Bayer Leverkusen last summer.

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Since interest emerged over the weekend, Sunderland have maintained they are under no financial pressure to sell and that their talisman is not on the market.

Chelsea view their offer as reasonable for a player of his age, but a significantly higher figure would be needed to test Sunderland’s stance. Xhaka is believed to be open to a move to Stamford Bridge, where he would be reunited with head coach Xabi Alonso.

That position suggests talks are likely to continue, though a significant gap between the clubs remains at this stage.

Source: Sunderland Echo