Granit Xhaka has been a revelation for Sunderland since his £17.5m move last summer, and with Chelsea reportedly making an ’embarrassing’ £8m bid, the Black Cats are determined to keep hold of their captain
Stefan Schwarz firmly believes that Granit Xhaka will be wearing the red and white of Sunderland AFC when the 2026/27 campaign kicks off.
This comes despite considerable interest from Chelsea at the time of writing. Xabi Alonso is understood to be keen on securing a move for the 33-year-old Black Cats captain, hoping to recreate their successful partnership at Bayer Leverkusen in 2024.
That campaign saw Die Werkself complete an unbeaten run in the Bundesliga and DFB Pokal, capturing their first two trophies in 30 years in spectacular style.
With Alonso having recently assumed the role of Chelsea manager for the forthcoming season following Liam Rosenior’s dismissal, the Spaniard has several key targets he wishes to bring to Stamford Bridge. At the summit of that list apparently sits Xhaka, who is presently enjoying an impressive World Cup tournament with Switzerland following a legacy-defining campaign with Sunderland.
The midfielder arrived at the Stadium of Light last summer in a surprising £17.5million transfer, and his influence was immediate – steering the Black Cats to a seventh-place finish in their maiden season back in the Premier League following eight years of anguish in the Championship and the depths of League One.
That achievement also meant that Sunderland qualified for European competition for only the second time in their history, their previous venture under the spotlight coming back in 1973, after their historic 1-0 FA Cup triumph over Leeds United under Bob Stokoe’s stewardship. Consequently, Xhaka has attracted considerable interest, with Chelsea even submitting an ’embarrassing’ £8m offer for his signature ahead of the new campaign.
While that figure might represent reasonable value for most players approaching their 34th birthday in September, Xhaka is a different proposition entirely.
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Skipper of both Sunderland and Switzerland, he proved pivotal to the success witnessed on the banks of the River Wear throughout last season, with the Black Cats appearing noticeably less assured and composed in his absence through injury, while also struggling to create opportunities.
Consequently, Sunderland reportedly value their man at approximately £34m, according to speculation, sending an unambiguous signal that the heartbeat of Regis Le Bris’ first team is firmly off the market. And if Schwarz’s reading of the current landscape is anything to go by, Sunderland supporters need not lose any sleep over losing their talisman.
Speaking exclusively to football.london via Bovada World Cup odds, the Sunderland and Arsenal legend said: “A lot of the success of Sunderland, a part of it, was Xhaka – with his experience and knowledge.
“He brought the belief, he brought the calmness when they played, and he brought the purpose as well. Not just him, but I love how the organisation, from the chairman and so on, to recruiting players, recruiting department, the supporters, the new players, how they settled in, how they understood the club and the area.
“But Xhaka was fantastic, very solid, consistency. And, of course, Xabi Alonso knows him from the time in Leverkusen and his time from Arsenal as well. So maybe it’s not a surprise, but I think Sunderland has a very interesting season coming up with European football and Europa League.
“The demand of the players will be much more, more games, less rest. So we need all the good players, all the experienced players who have been there, done it. And I believe an important piece of Sunderland’s good season next year is, if possible, to have him in the team.
“[It] would be fantastic news for all Sunderland. I count on him to be there at the start of the season, be the professional. I think he can’t be in a better place than Sunderland, really, because it’s a different club. The love he gets from the supporters and their respect, I think it’s very beautiful what they have done.”
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