Granit Xhaka could become one of the most expensive players aged 33 or older in the English top-flight if his move to Chelsea goes through
Chelsea raised eyebrows when they submitted a bid worth just £8million to sign Granit Xhaka from Sunderland, but there could be method to the madness…
football.london understands that the Blues are interested in signing the 33-year-old midfielder, whose contract at the Stadium of Light expires in June 2028. Chelsea recently had a bid for Xhaka rejected; the Black Cats were said to be furious with the offer.
Sunderland believe the fee was well wide of the mark, and they maintain that the Switzerland international is not for sale. It’s understood, however, that Xhaka, who turns 34 at the end of September, is open to reuniting with Alonso, having previously worked together at Bayer Leverkusen.
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He was one of the first names on the teamsheet when the Spaniard was in charge of the German outfit, marshalling the middle of the park. Together, Alonso and Xhaka won the Bundesliga unbeaten, the DFB Pokal, and the Franz Beckenbauer Supercup.
They almost got their hands on the Europa League trophy, too, but lost to Atalanta in the final. Although the Blues are keen to back their new manager in the transfer window, they’re unlikely to want to pay over the odds.
On paper, Chelsea offered Sunderland a premium fee for the former Arsenal captain. Had the Black Cats accepted the offer, which was worth £8m (€9.3m), Xhaka would have become the ninth most expensive player aged 33 or older in the world.
He would have also become the fifth most expensive player aged 33 or older to sign for a Premier League club, as visualised by Transfermarkt below. If the Blues had submitted a bid a little under double the initial proposal (£15.5m/€18m), Xhaka would have become the most expensive player aged 33 or older in the English top-flight.
On paper, the Swiss would have been worth more than Cristiano Ronaldo when he joined Manchester United from Juventus at the age of 36 in the summer of 2021. Although Chelsea ruffled a few feathers at the Stadium of Light with such a modest opening bid, they’ve drawn a line in the sand.
Regardless of whether the Blues secure Xhaka’s signature, the Blues must be prepared to splash the cash this summer, with Alonso eager to ‘build the right culture and win trophies’.
When the 44-year-old outlined his ambition to restore Chelsea to its former glory. He said: “Chelsea is one of the biggest clubs in world football, and it fills me with immense pride to become manager of this great club.
“From my conversations with the ownership group and sporting leadership, it is clear we share the same ambition. We want to build a team capable of competing consistently at the highest level and fighting for trophies.”
Alonso, who stepped down as the Real Madrid head coach at the start of the year, added: “There is great talent in the squad and huge potential at this football club, and it will be my great honour to lead it. Now the focus is on hard work, building the right culture and winning trophies.”
As it stands, it remains to be seen whether or not Chelsea higher-ups will table a second bid, but the fact that they could pay more for Xhaka than what Manchester United did for a five-time Ballon d’Or winner will certainly play on their minds.
