Granit Xhaka, Sunderland and Chelsea - making sense of a dramatic week and latest developments explained | OneFootball

Granit Xhaka has reaffirmed his commitment to Sunderland after talks this week, strengthening the club’s hand amid Chelsea interest. According to Sunderland Echo, the outcome surprised Chelsea after days when a move had seemed plausible.

Those close to the situation still believe a deal could yet emerge, an acknowledgement that reuniting with Xabi Alonso appealed to the midfielder. It would be naive to assume the saga is over.

Sunderland held firm after an opening £8 million offer. That left Chelsea needing to lift the bid roughly threefold, or for Xhaka to agitate. This week’s conversations suggested the latter was unlikely.

Chelsea were expected to return with a modestly improved proposal, a level unlikely to change Sunderland’s stance. The club say there is no set valuation, yet replacing Xhaka would be prohibitively difficult. Opta’s radar points to few close matches, with options like Vitaly Janelt or Sergi Altimira costly, Altimira joining Sporting Lisbon for £15 million plus.

Xhaka’s emotional, driven streak is central to his influence. He has avoided the transfer request, strikes and off the record briefings route, which underlines his buy-in. Internally, Florent Ghisolfi and Régis Le Bris prize unity and believe he raises standards.

Sunderland will still have to sell at times, but this week shows they can do so on their terms. If Alonso pushes again or Chelsea revise their valuation after pre-season, no one can say for sure, though Sunderland insist their stance is unchanged.

Source: Sunderland Echo