Chelsea’s audacious £8 million bid for Sunderland captain Granit Xhaka was swiftly and firmly rebuffed over the weekend, a move that former Black Cats and Arsenal midfielder Stefan Schwarz has branded an outright insult. Speaking exclusively to Chronicle Live, Schwarz, who knows both clubs intimately, insisted that Xhaka will remain in red and white stripes when the 2026/27 campaign kicks off, despite strong interest from new Chelsea boss Xabi Alonso. Alonso, fresh from his appointment at Stamford Bridge following Liam Rosenior’s dismissal, is reportedly eager to reunite with Xhaka, having masterminded Bayer Leverkusen’s historic unbeaten double in 2024. However, Sunderland have made their stance clear: their most influential player is not for sale at that price.
The Black Cats’ resolve is understandable given Xhaka’s transformative impact since his shock £17.5 million arrival last summer. The 33-year-old midfielder guided Sunderland to a seventh-place Premier League finish in their first season back in the top flight, ending an eight-year exile that had plunged the club into the Championship and even League One. That remarkable achievement secured European football for only the second time in Sunderland’s history, with their last continental campaign dating back decades. Xhaka’