Régis Le Bris, Sunderland’s manager, says any potential transfer of captain Granit Xhaka to Chelsea is “closed,” and that there is no prospect of the club selling him this summer. The comments come amid reports of Chelsea’s interest in the midfielder following Sunderland’s return to the Premier League and their success in qualifying for the Europa League last season, in which Xhaka played a key role. According to one account, Chelsea made an £8m bid for the 33-year-old during the month. Le Bris also indicates that Xhaka wants to remain at Sunderland, stating that “Granit wants to stay in Sunderland.”
The reports mention that Xabi Alonso, newly appointed as Chelsea manager, is keen to reunite with Xhaka, having previously worked with him at Bayer Leverkusen. However, Le Bris’s position suggests Sunderland is not willing to entertain negotiations for their captain at this stage.
