Chelsea €30m – Chelsea are preparing a €30million offer for Sunderland midfielder Granit Xhaka after Xabi Alonso urged BlueCo to get a deal done. Alonso is set to take over as Chelsea manager on July 1, and his previous success with Xhaka at Bayer Leverkusen adds weight to t
On the day Xabi Alonso is due to become Chelsea’s manager—July 1—his influence on the club’s recruitment already looks like it’s going beyond football files and into personal requests.
Chelsea are planning to make an offer for Sunderland midfielder Granit Xhaka. with the push coming after Alonso urged the Blues’ owners. BlueCo. to get a deal done for the 33-year-old. Alonso worked directly with Xhaka at Bayer Leverkusen. where the pair won the Bundesliga title and the DFB-Pokal in the 2023/24 campaign. and also reached the final of the Europa League that same season.
Xhaka’s time in England has been just as consequential for Sunderland. He moved to Sunderland from Bayer in the summer of 2025 for a total of £17.3million. and last season he was one of the Premier League’s standout performers. The former Arsenal star made 32 starts and two substitute appearances for the Black Cats. scoring one goal and registering six assists. Sunderland finished seventh in the Premier League table and qualified for the 2026/27 Europa League campaign.
Chelsea now want that impact to travel with Xhaka. The midfielder is under contract at Sunderland until 2028, but Chelsea are planning to get him out of the Stadium of Light this summer.
The latest number linked to the move is a straight-to-the-point figure. Italian journalist Luca Cerchione—who has over 14. 000 followers on X and was among the first to break the news about Chelsea’s desire to sign Marco Palestra—claimed Chelsea are ready to make an offer of €30million (£26m) for Xhaka. Cerchione posted on X at 11:22am on June 27: “Chelsea on Granit Xhaka: express request from Xabi Alonso. his former coach at Leverkusen. Blues’ first offer: 30 million euros.”.
That isn’t the first time Xhaka’s Sunderland future has been discussed. Back in May, Manchester United legend Peter Schmeichel urged the Red Devils to sign Xhaka.
Speaking on The Good, The Bad & The Football podcast, Schmeichel said: “I think we should go and sign Xhaka. I make my case, what we are going to do is build the team around Kobbie, right. Now, Casemiro is leaving. Now you bring in somebody like Wharton, Anderson whatever… that’s still young, that’s still untried. What we need and what we don’t really have apart from Harry and Bruno in that team is proper leadership. When I look at what Xhaka’s done for Sunderland, Xhaka is the reason they are where they are. He has been absolutely amazing. his leadership qualities are great. he can play 80 per cent of the games. he’s a really good player. We’re desperate for more leadership.”.
The conversation also included a reply: “Xhaka would come in and go I’m not playing every game, but he would bring a lot to the squad.”
For Sunderland, the timing is unavoidable: Xhaka is already in the spotlight for Switzerland at the 2026 World Cup. He will carry that profile back to club football, while Chelsea work to translate Alonso’s past trust into a new agreement.
And for BlueCo, the message looks clear—if the €30million offer is coming, it’s coming fast, and it’s coming with a direct line to the coach who knows Xhaka best.
Chelsea Granit Xhaka Sunderland Xabi Alonso BlueCo €30m offer Stadium of Light Premier League 2026 World Cup