3 hours ago
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Success under Alonso
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Chelsea reportedly have made a shock approach to sign Granit Xhaka from Sunderland in a move that could reunite Xabi Alonso with his former player. Reports in Germany suggest the Blues have lodged a bid worth €30 million for the ex-Arsenal midfielder, who is eager to link up with Alonso in London, per Sky Germany.
Xhaka is currently away at the World Cup with Switzerland and is staying in North America for at least another week after Murat Yakin's side progressed to the Round of 32 stage. It is understood that Sunderland are reluctant to sell the midfielder, who is under contract until 2028.
Alonso, who officially takes over on July 1, is understood to be keen to bring in a new midfielder to control the ball in midfield. There may be no better candidate to slot into his system than Xhaka, who won the Bundesliga with Alonso at Bayer Leverkusen in his first season at the BayArena in 2023/24. The German club went unbeaten for the entire 34-game domestic campaign and Xhaka played a key role in the engine room.
Why Alonso wants Xhaka
However, when Alonso left to take the Real Madrid job in July 2025, the Swiss veteran also headed for the exit - joining Sunderland in a €15 million deal. He instantly became a fans' favourite at the Stadium of Light, spearheading Regis Le Bris' side towards snatching a Europa League qualification spot on the final day of the season. But it appears he may not play any part in that adventure next season, with Chelsea - who finished 10th - keen to add him to their squad.
Alonso will be acutely aware of the need to bring in Premier League-proven experience to his squad after a disappointing campaign under his predecessors Enzo Maresca and Liam Rosenior. Chelsea are poised to sign Marco Palestra from Atalanta in the coming days, a wing-back who fits the mould of Alonso's 3-4-2-1 formation, while talks are ongoing for Crystal Palace centre-back Maxence Lacroix. The expected departure of Enzo Fernandez to Real Madrid this summer only heightens the need for a midfield general - and Xhaka certainly fits the bill.
Most expensive over-32 transfers
If reports of Chelsea's bid are accurate, Xhaka would become the second-most expensive player over the age of 32 to seal a permanent transfer. As the graphic above shows, Cristiano Ronaldo's blockbuster switch to Juventus in 2018 for an eye-watering €117 million set the world alight, with Xhaka potentially coming in behind him if Sunderland decide to cash in. Former Manchester City stopper Claudio Bravo would be third on the list at €18 million ahead of Petr Cech, who left Chelsea to join Arsenal in 2015 for €14 million.
Given Xhaka's current market value stands at €8 million, it appears the west London side may have to pay over the odds to get Alonso his top target. But Todd Boehly has demonstrated his tendency to spend what is needed to get certain players, be it Fernandez, Moises Caicedo or Mykhaylo Mudryk, and he may need to dig deep again to convince their Premier League rivals to let Xhaka go.
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