Sunderland have turned down an opening bid from Chelsea for midfielder Granit Xhaka, according to reports, with the Premier League club signalling that their captain is not available for transfer this summer.
Pulse Sports reports that The Athletic confirmed Chelsea submitted an initial offer of €9.2 million, which was promptly rejected by the Wearside hierarchy. The 33-year-old Switzerland international remains under contract at the Stadium of Light until June 2028, giving Sunderland a firm negotiating position.
Despite the club’s stance, Xhaka is reportedly eager to make the switch to west London and has already reached a verbal agreement on personal terms. The midfielder is currently unavailable for transfer discussions in the conventional sense, as he is competing with Switzerland at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America. Switzerland progressed to the Round of 32 after a 1-1 opening group-stage draw against Qatar, followed by back-to-back victories over Bosnia and Herzegovina and Canada.
The transfer push originates from Chelsea’s new head coach Xabi Alonso, who has made Xhaka a priority target as he looks to bring experience into a squad that averages just 23.7 years of age. The Spanish manager’s interest is rooted in a highly successful prior working relationship: Xhaka served as a key figure under Alonso at Bayer Leverkusen between 2023 and 2025, operating as the tactical engine room during the club’s historic, unbeaten 2023/24 Bundesliga title-winning campaign.
Xhaka joined Sunderland in July 2025 for a fee of €15 million following his departure from Leverkusen. His impact at the newly promoted club was immediate and significant. He made 34 league appearances across the 2025/26 Premier League season, captaining Sunderland to a seventh-place finish — a result that secured UEFA Europa League qualification. Chelsea, by contrast, finished the same campaign in tenth place.
A completed transfer would carry notable historical weight given Xhaka’s long association with Arsenal, Chelsea’s fierce London rivals. The Swiss captain spent seven years at the Emirates Stadium between 2016 and 2023, winning two FA Cups during that period — in the 2016/17 and 2019/20 seasons — before his initial move to Germany.
With Sunderland having rejected the opening offer and Xhaka contracted for two more years, Chelsea are likely to face a protracted negotiation if Alonso’s side decide to improve their bid. The outcome of the 2026 World Cup, where Switzerland are still active, may also influence the timeline of any further transfer activity.
