Chelsea make £8m bid for Granit Xhaka as talks with Sunderland continue

Alonso is an admirer and wants him in west London (Picture: Lars Baron/Getty Images) Chelsea have seen their opening offer for Rayo Vallecano left-back Pep Chavarria rejected. Marc Cucurella’s move to Real Madrid has left a void to be filled at left-back with Xabi Alonso looking to La Liga to find a replacement. 28-year-old Chavarria has emerged as a surprise target for the Blues with Mundo Deportivo reporting he is a player Alonso himself has targeted as part of his summer rebuild at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea have made an opening bid of €9million (£7.75m) plus add-ons, an offer that Rayo have rejected. Don't miss a World Cup moment England updates, match previews and exclusive analysis. Get it all in our daily World Cup newsletter. Sign up. Chavarria has not been capped at any level for Spain but enjoyed a sensational campaign with Rayo last season, helping the club reach the Europa Conference League final where they were beaten by Crystal Palace. An eighth place finish in the Spanish top flight was enough to secure their place in the competition again next season. Chavarria is thought to be keen on the move with Alonso’s former club Bayer Leverkusen also interested. Chavarria starred for Rayo last season (Picture: Aitor Alcalde Colomer/Getty Images) Geovany Quenda, Dastan Satpaev and Emmanuel Emegha are all set to join the Chelsea squad in the coming weeks in deals that were struck last year. Targeting players who can make an immediate impact in the first-team, the Blues launched a shock bid for Granit Xhaka last week, offering £8million for the Sunderland midfielder. Chelsea have also made a bit for Granit Xhaka (Picture: Ian MacNicol/Getty Images) The offer was immediately rejected by the Black Cats who deemed the offer disrespectful, insisting the former Arsenal captain is not for sale. ‘Sunderland bought Granit Xhaka for £17m and he was one of the best players in this Premier League last season,’ Premier League legend Alan Shearer told Betfair this week. ‘He wasn’t just one of the best players at Sunderland, but in the Premier League. And Chelsea think they can come in and offer less than half of what they bought him for and think that’s acceptable? ‘I mean, that’s bizarre to me. I understand that he might want to go, but if he wants to go and clearly his agent has done some talking to Chelsea, then I mean it’s a pretty embarrassing bid when a year earlier he cost £17m and he’s been one of the best players in the league. Comment now Comments Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google Add as preferred source

Chelsea want to sign ex-Arsenal captain Granit Xhaka (Picture: Getty) Alan Shearer has hit out at the Chelsea board for their ’embarrassing’ bid for Sunderland star and former Arsenal captain Granit Xhaka. Xhaka has emerged as a target for incoming Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso, who worked with the midfielder while the pair at Bayer Leverkusen. Alonso and Xhaka combined to help Leverkusen win a historic Bundesliga title in 2023-2024, a season in which the German club were unbeaten in the league with 28 wins and six draws. Xhaka, who was previously captain of Arsenal, again proved his worth last season for newly-promoted Sunderland, who exceeded expectations to finish in the top-half of the Premier League. Don't miss a World Cup moment England updates, match previews and exclusive analysis. Get it all in our daily World Cup newsletter. Sign up. Alonso believes Xhaka can bring some much-needed experience and leadership to struggling Chelsea following their 10th-place finish last season. Chelsea submitted an £8m bid for Xhaka last week but were immediately rebuffed by Sunderland, who deemed the offer to be disrespectful and reiterated their stance that the 33-year-old is not for sale. Ex-England striker and Premier League record goalscorer Shearer also believes the offer was ‘ridiculous’ given Xhaka’s importance to Sunderland following his £17m arrival. New Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso (Picture: Getty) ‘Sunderland bought Granit Xhaka for £17m and he was one of the best players in this Premier League last season,’ Shearer told Betfair. ‘He wasn’t just one of the best players at Sunderland, but in the Premier League. And Chelsea think they can come in and offer less than half of what they bought him for and think that’s acceptable? ‘I mean, that’s bizarre to me. I understand that he might want to go, but if he wants to go and clearly his agent has done some talking to Chelsea, then I mean it’s a pretty embarrassing bid when a year earlier he cost £17m and he’s been one of the best players in the league. Sunderland rejected Chelsea’s opening bid (Picture: Getty) ‘It’s embarrassing from Chelsea, really. I mean, they’re clearly not getting him for that amount. ‘Why would you sell a player for less than half that he cost when he’s been one of the best players? I mean, it’s ridiculous.’ While Chelsea angered Sunderland with their opening offer for Xhaka, they are expected to return with an improved bid, according to The Athletic. Xhaka is currently at the World Cup with Switzerland (Picture: Getty) Xhaka, who played for Arsenal between 2016 and 2023, is keen to move to Stamford Bridge given his previous relationship with Alonso and their status as one of the biggest clubs in the Premier League. Chelsea legend Joe Cole has endorsed the Blues’ move for Xhaka, insisting he ‘likes everything about it’. ‘Going after Xhaka is a good sign for Chelsea fans because it shows that the handcuffs of only signing young players and developing them are now off,’ Cole told Paddy Power. ‘It seems they’re making good positive strides. He seems like the right character for the dressing room. ‘He did a great job at Sunderland last year. He was brilliant at Bayer Leverkusen. He was even a leader at Arsenal. ‘I like the fact that they’re backing Xabi Alonso. I like everything about it.’ Xhaka is currently at the World Cup with Switzerland, who face Algeria in their last-32 clash on Friday. For more stories like this, check our sport page. Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Comment now Comments Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google Add as preferred source

Granit Xhaka would bring invaluable experience and leadership to Chelsea, says Joe Cole (Picture: Getty) Joe Cole says Granit Xhaka would be the ‘right character’ for the Chelsea dressing room and the club’s move for the midfielder is a ‘good sign’ that ‘positive strides’ are being made in the transfer market. The Blues appear to have moved away from their purely youth-led transfer policy and have set their sights on Xhaka, with new manager Xabi Alonso believed to be at the heart of a bid to sign the 33-year-old. Xhaka of course played for Alonso at Bayer Leverkusen, enjoying great success under the Spaniard as the pair won a historic Bundesliga title together after an undefeated 2023/24 campaign. The former Arsenal captain returned to the Premier League to join Sunderland last summer, earning himself plenty more admirers with his outstanding performances for the Black Cats. Don't miss a World Cup moment England updates, match previews and exclusive analysis. Get it all in our daily World Cup newsletter. Sign up. Reports emanating out of Germany at the weekend indicated that Chelsea had reached a verbal agreement with Xhaka’s camp, with the Switzerland international keen to secure a switch to Stamford Bridge. However, Sunderland are reluctant to lose arguably their most important squad member and Chelsea bosses know they have a battle on their hands in prising the central midfielder away from the Stadium of Light. It’s understood Chelsea’s opening offer of £8million for Xhaka was swiftly rejected by their Premier League rivals. It remains to be seen if the Club World Cup holders will return with a follow-up bid. Chelsea saw an opening bid of £8m for Xhaka rejected by Sunderland (Picture: Getty) The midfielder is currently away on international duty at the World Cup (Picture: Getty) ‘Going after Xhaka is a good sign for Chelsea fans because it shows that the handcuffs of only signing young players and developing them are now off, ex-Chelsea and England winger Cole told Paddy Power. ‘It seems they’re making good positive strides. He seems like the right character for the dressing room. ‘He did a great job at Sunderland last year. He was brilliant at Bayer Leverkusen. He was even a leader at Arsenal. ‘I like the fact that they’re backing Xabi Alonso. I like everything about it.’ Xhaka enjoyed a brilliant debut season with Sunderland last term (Picture: Getty) Though Cole doubts Xhaka would be a guaranteed starter at Chelsea, he is adamant the Swiss would bring invaluable ‘leadership’ to a dressing room which badly lacked experienced heads last season. ‘He played nearly every game for Leverkusen and Sunderland. Will he play every game at Chelsea?’ Cole added. ‘Will he still be a great leader if he isn’t on the pitch every game? I think he will. I certainly hope he will. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Up Next Previous Page Next Page ‘He wouldn’t be starting ahead of Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez, who for me are two of the best central midfielders in world football. ‘We’ll see if he ends up signing, but I like the fact that if he does, it is for sure a Xabi Alonso signing.’ Should Xhaka join Chelsea, he could be set to join forces with Caicedo and Fernandez in the centre of the park – widely regarded to be among the finest midfield pairings in English football. Fernandez is reportedly keen to follow Cucurella to Real Madrid (Picture: Getty) However, there remains uncertainty over Fernandez’s future in west London, with the Argentina international opening criticising Chelsea’s hierarchy last season and reportedly pushing for a big-money transfer move to Real Madrid. To rub further salt in the wound, Marc Cucurella has encouraged Fernandez to join him at Madrid having completed a move from Chelsea to the Bernabeu earlier this summer. ‘That’s not for me, what he’s done there,’ Cole said of Cucurella’s recent comments. ‘When you hear players doing stuff like that, I think it’s bang out of order. ‘He’s an intelligent man. He knows he’s poking the bear. There’s ways to handle yourself in these situations. ‘If you’re happy to sign a seven-year contract, you can’t then three years into the contract be openly flirting with another football club, regardless of who it is. ‘It’s not for me.’ For more stories like this, check our sport page. Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Comment now Comments Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google Add as preferred source

Chelsea want to sign Granit Xhaka from Sunderland (Picture: Getty) Sunderland have not only rejected Chelsea’s opening offer for Granit Xhaka but warned their Premier League rivals the midfielder is not for sale ‘at any valuation’. Xabi Alonso is pushing Chelsea to sign former Arsenal captain Xhaka, who he managed at German club Bayer Leverkusen. Xhaka is believed to be keen to move to Stamford Bridge, with reports suggesting he has already agreed personal terms with Chelsea. But Sunderland made it clear from the start of the transfer saga that Xhaka, who joined them last summer ahead of their return to the Premier League, was not for sale. Don't miss a World Cup moment England updates, match previews and exclusive analysis. Get it all in our daily World Cup newsletter. Sign up. That did not prevent Chelsea from submitting an official bid for Xhaka worth £8m. The Athletic say Chelsea felt the proposal was ‘fair’ given Xhaka turns 34 in September, but Sunderland instantly rejected the approach and regarded it as a ‘lack of respect’. It is claimed Sunderland told Chelsea in no uncertain terms that ‘no further offers would be entertained’, hoping that the Blues will now ‘respect’ their position. Incoming Chelsea boss Xabi Alonso (Picture: Getty) While Xhaka would be far from a glamourous signing, he would provide a level of experience and leadership that has been badly missed at Chelsea in recent seasons. The Blues finished just 10th in the Premier League last term – two points behind newly-promoted Sunderland – failing to qualify for any European competition. Enzo Maresca started the season as Chelsea’s manager but both he and his replacement Liam Rosenior were sacked, with Alonso now set to take over from the start of July. Xhaka captained Arsenal during his seven-year spell at the Emirates Stadium before joining Alonso at Leverkusen in 2023. The midfielder, currently at the World Cup with Switzerland, helped Alonso’s Leverkusen win the Bundesliga title before moving back to the Premier League last season. Sunderland were among the favourites to be relegated but Xhaka played a key role in the Black Cats not only avoiding the drop but finishing in the top-half of the table. Former Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney was among those to label Xhaka one of the signings of the season. For more stories like this, check our sport page. Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Comment now Comments Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google Add as preferred source

Granit Xhaka is angling for a move to Chelsea from Sunderland (Picture: Getty) Granit Xhaka will continue to push for a move to Chelsea with personal terms already ‘guaranteed’. The 33-year-old midfielder has emerged as a shock target for the Blues who are looking to add more experience to a squad that floundered baddly last season.BlueCo appear ready to admit the mistakes that have undermined their attempts to arm various managers with squads capable of competing for major trophies. The likes of Enzo Maresca, Graham Potter and Mauricio Pochettino have all struggled to keep pace with the likes of Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool as a consequence of a strategy that has relied upon recruiting Europe and South America’s best emerging talent. Don't miss a World Cup moment England updates, match previews and exclusive analysis. Get it all in our daily World Cup newsletter. Sign up. Upon appointing Xabi Alonso as Liam Rosenior’s permanent replacement, the Spaniard was notably given the title of manager rather than head coachfollowing his insistence that he be heavily involved in player recruitment. Complementing Chelsea’s best young players with seasoned Premier League performers represents a priority for the latest man in the Chelsea hot seat. A deal to sign Crystal Palace’s France international centre-half Maxence Lacroix appears to be progressing well, while Xhaka would add vast knowhow to a midfield engine room that could well be losing Enzo Fernandez to Real Madrid. Granit Xhaka and Xabi Alonso won the Bundesliga together at Bayer Leverkusen (Picture: Getty) According to Fabrizio Romano, Xhaka wants to be reunited with Alonso at Stamford Bridge given the success they enjoyed together at Bayer Leverkusen where they helped the club win a first Bundesliga title, dethroning Bayern Munich in the process.Moreover, Xhaka is keen to relocate his young family to London where he spent seven years as an Arsenal player, several as club captain, having spent last season at Sunderland. Xhaka captain the Black Cats during their first season back in the top flightin eight years and helped secure unlikely European qualification, ironically after they beat Chelsea at home on the final day of an uplifting campaign. Granit Xhaka captained Sunderland last season (Picture: Getty) Granit Xhaka spent seven years as an Arsenal player (Picture: Getty) After that match, Xhaka addressed the Sunderland fans and claimed ‘it was only the start’ but he now appears determined to renege on that promise and sign for Chelsea. Sunderland, however, will not part with the veteran midfielder, who is currently playing for Switzerland at the World Cup, without a fight. Xhaka joined Sunderland last summer in a £13million deal and with two years left on his contract they will at least hope to make their money back, if not a significant profit. Comment now Comments Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google Add as preferred source

Granit Xhaka has verbally agreed to join Chelsea this summer (Getty) Sunderland captain Granit Xhaka has reached an agreement to join Chelsea this summer, according to reports. Xhaka returned to the Premier League last year after Sunderland agreed a deal with Bayer Leverkusen worth £13 million plus £4m in add-ons. The 33-year-old, who spent seven seasons at Arsenal, quickly established himself as a key figure at Sunderland, helping Regis Le Bris’ side finish seventh in the Premier League. According to Sky Sports Germany and Swiss outlet Blick, Xabi Alonso has asked Chelsea to sign Xhaka and the midfielder has verbally agreed to make the move to Stamford Bridge. Don't miss a World Cup moment (Picture: Getty) We're witnessing history at this World Cup – our daily newsletter helps you make the most of it. Sign up. Chelsea, however, are yet to reach an agreement with Sunderland over a transfer fee and the Black Cats are in a relatively strong negotiating position as Xhaka, who is captaining Switzerland at the World Cup this summer, still has two years remaining on his contract. After leaving Arsenal in 2023, Xhaka became a pivotal player in Alonso’s side at Bayer Leverkusen which went 51 games unbeaten and won the German league and cup double the following year. Granit Xhaka was a key figure in Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen side (Getty) ‘He is not a coach that is looking out for the names or status of players, in terms of who is older or younger, or who has played more games,’ Xhaka said of Alonso during their time together at Leverkusen. ‘During the week, he is thinking about who deserves to play at the weekend because they are training well. ‘He gives every player the chance to prove their importance to the team. I think to manage this is so difficult because you have different types of characters and nationalities, different languages. But he has this experience as a player to give confidence to everyone. That’s why we performed like this as well.’ Granit Xhaka returned to the Premier League with Sunderland last year (Reuters) Meanwhile, Le Bris highlighted the impact Xhaka made on his Sunderland side last season after they secured qualification for the Europa League. ‘It’s a privilege to coach a player like Granit Xhaka, he’s so demanding with himself and he creates the condition to be demanding with others,’ Le Bris said. ‘It’s not explicit but for the players and the coaching staff it lifts the standards. It’s a real pleasure and a privilege to be the manager of this kind of player. After that the personality is the personality. Granit is emotional and intense and when he becomes a manager – I don’t know when, there’s no rush – he’ll have to respect this personality as well. ‘As a manager you set the tone for the players. If you are too high or too low it becomes a problem but you have to stay real to yourself as well.’ Chelsea are also on the verge of completing a €60m (£51.6m) deal to sign Italian right-back Marco Palestra from Atalanta. For more stories like this, check our sport page. Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Comment now Comments Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google Add as preferred source