Sunderland reject Chelsea’s eight million pound bid for Granit Xhaka, say he is not for sale | OneFootball

According to NY Times, Sunderland have rejected Chelsea’s offer for Granit Xhaka and told them the midfielder is not for sale at any valuation.

Chelsea’s move is driven by new manager Xabi Alonso, under whom Xhaka played at Bayer Leverkusen, and the bid, worth eight million pounds, was submitted on Saturday.

Sunderland considered the proposal unacceptable and disrespectful to the 33-year-old Switzerland international and the club. Xhaka is under contract until June 2028, and the hierarchy have said no further offers will be entertained.

Xhaka joined from Leverkusen last summer in a deal worth up to £17.5 million including add-ons, and was immediately named captain. He helped deliver a seventh-place finish and European football for the first time in 53 years, sealed by a final-day home win against Chelsea that left the visitors 10th and out of Europe.

Targeting a player who turns 34 in September would mark a shift for the BlueCo era, which has largely avoided late career signings. Kalidou Kouilbaly, 31 when he arrived from Napoli in 2022, is the oldest signing so far and he left for Al-Hilal 12 months later. Alonso knows Xhaka from two years together at Leverkusen, and Chelsea see a need for more mature voices in the dressing room.

Source: NY Times