Granit Xhaka ‘to orchestrate’ Sunderland exit amid Chelsea ‘to return’ after embarrassing bid | OneFootball

Chelsea’s pursuit of Granit Xhaka has intensified, but Sunderland have rejected an opening offer and insist their captain is not for sale. The first bid, worth around eight million pounds, was turned down, with the midfielder under contract until 2028. Sunderland paid seventeen million pounds to sign him from Bayer Leverkusen last summer, and he led them to seventh and Europa League qualification.

BBC Sport reports that any successful move for the 33-year-old would mark a radical shift in Chelsea’s recruitment, given they have fielded the Premier League’s youngest side for the last two seasons and have not selected a player aged 30 or over in that period. They add that leadership is a priority for the club.

Fabrizio Romano reports that Chelsea are preparing a new approach after their initial offer was rejected, and that Sunderland are not under pressure to sell. He also claims Chelsea are expected to return because Xhaka wants to join the Blues and reunite with Xabi Alonso.

Football.london described the opening proposal as embarrassing and argued a fee north of twenty million pounds would be reasonable despite his age. They pointed to last season’s impact and the fact Sunderland finished above Chelsea, as well as recent midfield deals, to explain why a higher valuation is likely.

TalkSPORT’s Alex Crook has claimed Sunderland feel Xhaka is trying to orchestrate an exit and suggested Chelsea will come back with another bid. He added that the Black Cats are unhappy with the situation.

The Athletic reports that Chelsea viewed eight million pounds as fair because Xhaka turns 34 in September, but Sunderland rejected the proposal immediately and considered it disrespectful. The report adds that Sunderland told Chelsea they would not entertain further offers.

The national picture is consistent, Chelsea want Xhaka, he is said to want the move, but Sunderland have dug in. Whether Chelsea respect that stance or test it again now appears the next question.

Source: Sunderland Echo