Chelsea reach personal terms with Granit Xhaka as Alonso pushes for reunion
Granit Xhaka has reached a personal agreement to join Chelsea, driven by the prospect of reuniting with former Bayer Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso. Sunderland are braced for a difficult negotiation over the fee for a player central to their Europa League qualification.
Personal terms agreed
Granit Xhaka has given the green light to a move that would see him return to London, this time wearing Chelsea blue. Multiple reports, including from journalists Florian Plettenberg and Fabrizio Romano, confirm the 33-year-old Swiss captain has reached a personal agreement with the club. The midfielder, who spent seven seasons at Arsenal before leaving in 2025, is said to be driving the transfer personally.
He said: I want to go back to London, I want to play under Xabi Alonso for Chelsea.
Alonso the decisive factor
Xabi Alonso, newly appointed as Chelsea head coach, is the driving force behind the pursuit. The Spaniard worked with Xhaka at Bayer Leverkusen during the 2023/24 season, a campaign that ended with an unbeaten Bundesliga title and a domestic double. Alonso has publicly valued Xhaka's leadership, experience, and tactical intelligence, and wants to build Chelsea's midfield around the Swiss international.
I want to build a team capable of competing on all fronts, with players who bring quality and experience, but also with talented young players who can grow with us.
Sunderland's resistance
The transfer is far from straightforward. Xhaka signed a three-year contract with Sunderland last summer after a £17 million move from Leverkusen. He went on to be named the club's Player of the Season, scoring one goal and providing six assists in the Premier League, and leading the newly promoted side to a seventh-place finish and Europa League qualification. Sunderland, owned by Zurich-based Kyril Louis-Dreyfus, had planned for Xhaka to be a key figure next season and are under no financial pressure to sell.
Fee and negotiation dynamics
Chelsea are reportedly reluctant to pay a high fee for a player who turns 34 in September. Estimates of Sunderland's asking price range from €30 million to €40 million, with some sources citing a figure of up to 35 million Swiss francs. The negotiations are expected to be protracted. Sunderland have Xhaka under contract until 2028, but the player's desire to leave could weaken their position. Chelsea are simultaneously managing other deals, having already agreed to sign Atalanta right-back Marco Palestra and are fielding interest from Como for defender Trevoh Chalobah, who is valued at £30 million plus £5 million in add-ons.
A broader rebuild at Stamford Bridge
Xhaka is a central piece in a wider overhaul under Alonso. Chelsea finished 10th in the Premier League last season and missed out on European competition. The club is also closing in on Crystal Palace centre-back Maxence Lacroix for around €55 million, signalling a strategy of blending experience with emerging talent. For Xhaka, the move would represent a return to the top tier of club football and a reunion with a coach he deeply admires.
It was his human side that impressed me in our direct relations. The way he behaves under pressure as a coach, how he reacts to mistakes, to unfavourable scores, his composure.
