Chelsea Reportedly Offer €30 Million for Sunderland Captain Granit Xhaka

Chelsea are reportedly weighing a €30 million bid for Granit Xhaka, a move that could signal a shift toward experience under incoming manager Xabi Alonso.

Jun 27, 2026 ● 3 min read

A €30m Xhaka bid would mark a sharp change in Chelsea’s approach

Chelsea are reportedly weighing a move for experience as well as youth. The club has submitted a €30 million offer for Granit Xhaka, Sunderland’s captain, at the request of incoming manager Xabi Alonso. The claim comes from journalist Luca Cerchione; it hasn’t been confirmed by a major outlet, so the reported bid remains uncertain. That distinction should shape how the story is read: a single report can point to a club’s thinking, but it doesn’t establish that an offer has been made or that negotiations are underway.

That uncertainty matters. Chelsea are expected to give Alonso, 44, broader control of transfers than his predecessors: his title will be manager, not simply head coach, and the club is reportedly reconsidering a strategy centered heavily on younger players. If you’re tracking Chelsea’s summer, an approach for a 33-year-old would be a meaningful sign of that shift—if the report is accurate. It would suggest the club is considering immediate contribution and experience alongside resale value and long-term development. The numbers here are striking, but the evidence behind them remains thin.

Alonso’s link to Xhaka is clear; the deal is less so

The footballing connection is real: Alonso and Xhaka won an unbeaten league and cup double at Bayer Leverkusen in 2023/24. Cerchione’s report describes the Chelsea pursuit as an “express request” from the manager. That shared season gives the link a plausible footballing rationale: Alonso knows what Xhaka can offer, and could have a clearer view than most of how the midfielder fits his plans. Still, familiarity between a manager and a former player doesn’t prove that a club has approved a bid.

Xhaka then moved to newly promoted Sunderland last summer for €15 million, and reportedly enjoyed a strong season there after appearing to show his age in his final year at Leverkusen. A €30 million offer would give Sunderland a €15 million profit after one season. That’s a striking figure for a 33-year-old, and the report has yet to gain wider support. It’s not clear why Chelsea would make such a large offer, or whether Sunderland would consider selling their captain. For now, the story looks hard to believe—but football transfers, especially at Chelsea, can still surprise. The age, fee and short gap between the reported purchase and sale all invite scrutiny; none, by itself, settles whether the move makes sense.

What the reported fee would signal

Transfer fees don’t explain a club’s priorities on their own. A bid for an established player can reflect a manager’s desire for dependable experience, a need to address a specific role, or simply an early step in negotiations. Here, the report supplies a possible motive—Alonso’s request—but no detail about the role Chelsea might expect Xhaka to fill, the structure of the offer or Sunderland’s response. Those gaps make it difficult to judge the story as a concrete plan.

And this is the part most people overlook: the reported fee would be twice what Sunderland paid, but that comparison doesn’t tell us what either club would accept. It does make the alleged offer unusual enough to demand confirmation. If you’re working in this space, treat the story as a clue about possible priorities, not proof of a completed change in policy.

Other reported Chelsea business

Chelsea’s summer plans are also said to include a deal for 21-year-old full-back Marco Palestra from Atalanta and a possible move for 26-year-old Crystal Palace centre-back Maxence Lacroix. The club has several youth deals agreed, while full-back and centre-back remain priorities. Taken together, those reports point to recruitment across several age groups and positions, though the available details don’t show how the club would fit each player into the squad or which targets are closest to a deal.

A comparison widget in the source lists Palestra’s estimated transfer value at €12.6 million, with a range of €11.3 million to €13.8 million; he is Italian and was listed as 21, born 3 March 2005. Lacroix’s estimate is €51.6 million, ranging from €46.4 million to €56.8 million; he is French and was listed as 26, born 6 April 2000. These are estimates, not reported transfer fees. They can provide a rough reference point, but they shouldn’t be read as evidence of an offer or as a reliable guide to what a club would pay.

Midfield is another position under consideration. Chelsea are believed to be ready to sign Valentin Barco from sister club Strasbourg as a potential replacement for Enzo Fernandez, who is discussing a high-value move to Real Madrid. The reported Xhaka offer would add another, much more experienced option. Whether that means Chelsea are planning for Fernandez’s departure, adding cover or considering a different midfield balance isn’t clear from the reports available.

Alonso is due to take charge when pre-season begins next month. That timing gives the transfer stories added weight: a new manager will want to assess the squad and shape the team, while the club’s reported interest in several positions suggests decisions are still taking form. But until Chelsea or Sunderland confirms the Xhaka approach, the bid remains a claim. A shift in transfer strategy may be underway. Or this may be one intriguing report that doesn’t lead to a deal.

The report was updated on 27 June 2026 at 15:10 BST and listed a four-minute reading time. It was written by Tom Weber, a multilingual sports writer covering European football and American soccer.

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Source: Tom Weber · www.footballtransfers.com