Chelsea are planning to bid €30million for Xhaka after Xabi Alonso made an express request for the Sunderland midfielder. Xhaka is under contract until 2028, so Chelsea’s move starts from a hard negotiating point rather than a simple summer chase.
Alonso Wants Xhaka
Alonso will officially become Chelsea manager on July 1, but the push for Xhaka is already in motion. Luca Cerchione posted at 11:22am on June 27 that there was an express request from Alonso, his former coach at Bayer Leverkusen, and that Chelsea were ready to make an offer of €30million.
That request fits a partnership that already produced trophies. Granit Xhaka and Xabi Alonso won the Bundesliga title and the DFB-Pokal in the 2023/24 campaign, then reached the final of the Europa League with Bayer Leverkusen. Chelsea are not gambling on an unknown profile; they are moving for a midfielder Alonso already trusted in a title-winning side.
Xhaka’s Sunderland Numbers
At Sunderland, the 33-year-old delivered a season that explains why the price is being discussed so quickly. He made 32 Premier League starts and two substitute appearances, scored one goal and added six assists after moving from Bayer in the summer of 2025 for a total of £17.3million.
Sunderland finished seventh in the Premier League and qualified for the 2026/27 Europa League campaign, with Xhaka a key figure in that finish. He has also drawn interest before this report, with Peter Schmeichel saying in May, “I think we should go and sign Xhaka.”
Sunderland’s Contract Leverage
The obstacle for Chelsea is simple: Sunderland do not need to sell on the cheap. Xhaka is tied to the club until 2028, and that length gives Sunderland room to push back on a bid that values him far above the £17.3million they paid only months ago.
Schmeichel also made the case for leadership when he said, “What we need and what we don’t really have apart from Harry and Bruno in that team is proper leadership.” He added, “When I look at what Xhaka’s done for Sunderland, Xhaka is the reason they are where they are.”
Chelsea’s next move now depends on whether they turn the planned €30million into a formal bid that can withstand Sunderland’s contract position. Xhaka is still playing for Switzerland at the 2026 World Cup, and that alone keeps the timing tight for any deal built around his next club.
