Sunderland Reject £8m Chelsea Bid for Granit Xhaka as Regis Le Bris Declares Matter Closed

Chelsea’s pursuit of Granit Xhaka has hit a definitive dead end after Sunderland firmly rejected an £8 million proposal from the Stamford Bridge side. Blues manager Xabi Alonso had been eager to reunite with his former Bayer Leverkusen skipper, but the Black Cats have issued an unequivocal hands-off warning to ensure the veteran midfielder stays put on Wearside.

Sunderland Firm on Hands-Off Stance

Despite Chelsea lodging an official £8 million bid to bring the Swiss international back to London, Sunderland stood firm and refused to entertain the transfer. While Xhaka was interested in returning to the capital, the lack of an agreement between the two teams caused the potential move to crumble.

Following Sunderland's 4-2 pre-season friendly loss to Liverpool, manager Regis Le Bris put an end to any remaining speculation regarding his captain's future. Le Bris confirmed that the topic is officially closed, emphasizing that Xhaka loves the club, is fully committed to building its future, and remains an essential leader within the squad.

Rebuilding Under Alonso Denied

Alonso was keen on re-establishing a partnership with Xhaka after their immense shared success at Bayer Leverkusen. Under Alonso’s guidance in Germany, Xhaka wore the captain's armband as die Werkself achieved an unbeaten 2023/24 Bundesliga title win and reached the Europa League final.

However, Xhaka is now set to remain at the Stadium of Light for a second campaign. Since making his return to English football, the former Arsenal star registered 34 Premier League appearances for Sunderland last season, while also representing Switzerland six times during their run to the last 16 at the World Cup in North America.