Chelsea’s pursuit of Granit Xhaka ends as Sunderland shut door on transfer

Chelsea’s hopes of securing a reunion between Xabi Alonso and Granit Xhaka have been officially extinguished. Sunderland manager Regis Le Bris has confirmed that the club captain is not for sale, effectively ending the Blues' pursuit of the veteran midfielder.

The interest from Stamford Bridge was concrete, with Chelsea having seen an initial £8m bid rejected earlier this summer—a valuation that reportedly frustrated Sunderland’s hierarchy. While Xhaka was understood to be open to the move, having previously worked with Alonso at Bayer Leverkusen, the player has opted against forcing an exit from the Stadium of Light.

No, this topic is closed. He has been really clear about his future. He loves Sunderland, he wants to stay in Sunderland. He wants to make the future of Sunderland.

Le Bris, speaking following a pre-season friendly against Liverpool, emphasized that Xhaka remains central to his project. With the 33-year-old committed to the club until 2028, the Sunderland boss is now looking to maintain stability within his squad after a period of significant turnover last season.

Alonso shifts focus to midfield reinforcements

With the Xhaka avenue closed, Chelsea’s recruitment team is expected to accelerate efforts to bolster the engine room before the September deadline. The club has already tested the market elsewhere, recently seeing a £64m bid for Bournemouth’s Alex Scott turned down.

Alonso remains pragmatic about the remainder of the window, acknowledging that the squad is still a work in progress. 'We need to be flexible and quick to act,' the Chelsea manager noted during the club's tour in Australia. 'The main thing is that we have a clear idea, a clear plan that we have built. Probably it will change until the last day of the market being open.'

As Chelsea balances the need for depth across multiple competitions, the focus now turns to alternative targets capable of providing the maturity and quality required to compete at the top of the Premier League.