Sunderland reject Chelsea's 'unacceptable' bid for Granit Xhaka

Chelsea's pursuit of Granit Xhaka stalled after Sunderland swiftly rejected an opening bid. The Blues submitted an offer to reunite the midfielder with new manager Xabi Alonso, but Sunderland deemed the proposal 'unacceptable' and said he was not for sale under any circumstances.

The club turned down an official £8 million offer and made clear Xhaka is 'not for sale at any valuation'. Sunderland described the low bid as showing a lack of respect for both the 33-year-old Switzerland international and the Wearside club, and said they will entertain no further offers, expecting Chelsea to respect Xhaka's contract, which runs until 2028.

Alonso is pursuing Xhaka after two successful seasons together at Bayer Leverkusen, when they won the Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal in 2023-24. The move marks a departure from Chelsea’s recent focus on younger signings. Sunderland remain determined to keep Xhaka after his impactful debut season.

granit xhaka, sunderland, chelsea, xabi alonso, £8 million, contract 2028, wearside, bayer leverkusen, bundesliga, dfb-pokal