Granit Xhaka is back at the centre of another transfer story, with Chelsea said to have a full verbal agreement in place and personal terms already sorted. The snag is Sunderland, who still have him tied down until 2028 and are not behaving like a club ready to wave this through. Chelsea's first offer was framed as 30 million euros, but the deal still needs club-to-club work.

Xabi Alonso wants an experienced leader

The football case is clear enough. Xabi Alonso wants an organiser, not just another name, and Xhaka fits that brief. At Bayer Leverkusen, Alonso called him “a real fighter”, praised his discipline and said he is “an aggressive leader and constantly pushes the limits.”

That profile is why the move has traction in football circles. Xhaka himself talked about being signed to stabilise a young team and said he would try to do that “on every level, also mentally.” Peter Schmeichel also backed the idea, saying Xhaka has been “absolutely amazing” and pointing to his leadership qualities.

The recent numbers fit the same picture. Xhaka has averaged 7.48 across his last five recorded matches and played 477 minutes in that spell. In his two Sunderland league appearances in the sample, he averaged 7.25 across 194 minutes, which is a decent sign for a player being asked to carry responsibility straight away.

Sunderland's leverage in the deal

Sunderland's side of this is straightforward. They finished seventh in the Premier League with 54 points from 38 matches, and Xhaka was part of the group that got them there. Their last five league results were WWDDL, while Chelsea's were LWDLL, so there is no obvious sporting reason for Sunderland to feel cornered.

There is also the contract reality. Xhaka joined Sunderland in summer 2025 in a deal reportedly worth £17.3 million, and they are under no pressure to cash in after one season. Fabrizio Romano said Chelsea's expectation is to pay less than €30m-to-€40m, partly because of Xhaka's age, which is where the negotiation gets awkward.

Chelsea themselves finished 10th in the league with 52 points, a position that supports the push for more experience and leadership. The club are looking for a fix, but Sunderland are not acting like a seller under stress. The verbal agreement may be there, yet the fee and the timing still need to be won.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 4 outlets. How we work →