Chelsea look set to be active in the transfer market under Xabi Alonso and former Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka is the latest player to be linked
Chelsea star Cole Palmer has liked a social media post claiming Granit Xhaka wants to join the Blues. The Switzerland midfielder reportedly has his sights set on reuniting with Xabi Alonso, whom he worked with at Bayer Leverkusen – winning a Bundesliga and German Cup double.
The Sunderland captain is said to have made it clear that he would accept any proposal over a return to London, after ending a seven-year stint at Arsenal for Leverkusen three years ago. Fabrizio Romano has claimed that the 33-year-old wants to make the switch to Stamford Bridge and a deal is underway.
The post to Instagram received over 200,000 likes and among them was the playmaker, Palmer.
football.london understands that the Black Cats are not welcoming offers for the midfielder, who played a huge role in their phenomenal Premier League return last season. Regis Le Bris’s side will be in Europe next season after qualifying for the Europa League last season.
Sunderland will not be pressured into selling and do not consider the midfield general for sale. Chelsea are interested in the former Arsenal man while suggestions surrounding the figures on offer are wide of the mark, it’s understood.
Earlier this month, in an interview with Swiss media outlet Blick, Xhaka expressed his happiness in the North East and how he has settled in at the Stadium of Light. Strikingly, the midfielder admitted his own relief at not having a summer where his future is the subject of speculation.
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“It’s a bit like home for me,” he said. “The city feels like Basel. Like the St. Johann district where I grew up. You can only perform at your best when you feel comfortable in a place.
“For me, the most important thing is that my family is happy. And we are in Sunderland. I’m not even thinking about a transfer. I’m really happy to finally have a summer without any speculation about my future.
“That’s rarely been the case in recent years. This allows me to fully focus on the World Cup.”
Palmer himself hasn’t been immune to transfer speculation as he has been strongly linked with a move away from Stamford Bridge. It has been a turbulent period in west London for the Blues with frequent managerial changes and conveyor belt of players both moving to the club and leaving.
Reports suggested that the England international was home sick and was eyeing a move back to Manchester. Rumours also linked him to his boyhood club Manchester United and the possibility of spearheading a new-look attack at Old Trafford.
However, the latest social media activity from Palmer may suggest otherwise and that he is invested in new head coach Alonso.
Xhaka’s success with Sunderland was something of a surprise to onlookers of the English game. The Swiss international’s Arsenal career faced a number of highs and lows, including being cheered by Gunners supporters as he was brought off during a match.
But coming back from the mire was never in any doubt for the experienced Xhaka. He said: “To be honest, I’m not surprised.
“Throughout my career, I’ve always made all my decisions based on my gut feeling. The move from [Bayer] Leverkusen to Sunderland wasn’t a snap decision. I had a lot of discussions with the owner, sporting director, and manager before I signed.
“Sure, you could say that winning the league title with Leverkusen was a bit of a surprise. The same goes for this season, finishing seventh in the Premier League as a newly promoted team.
“But I see it a little differently because I see all the hard work that goes into these successes. If you work hard day in and day out, you can achieve a lot.”
