“I Decided” – Top Chelsea Target Confirms Where He Will Be Playing His Football Next Season
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Sunderland captain Granit Xhaka has officially closed the door on a move to Chelsea.
The Blues had an £8m bid rejected for the Swiss international last month, but speaking after his country secured their place in the World Cup quarter-finals on Tuesday, Xhaka reaffirmed his commitment to his current team:
“Sunderland has been my home since day one. We are all very happy. I decided to stay where I am; family is the most important thing. I am ready to make history with them.”
New Chelsea boss Xabi Alonso was keen on being reunited with the player he managed for two seasons at Bayer Leverkusen, but this public statement all but rules out a transfer to Stamford Bridge happening this summer.
It’s a blow for Alonso
One of the key priorities for the new head coach was to bring in leaders who could add some much-needed experience to the first-team squad.
Xhaka had plenty of qualities that made him an attractive option. He is Premier League proven, having spent 7 years with Arsenal, in addition to his single campaign at Sunderland.
The midfielder has also demonstrated his leadership ability for both club and country in recent months, helping the Black Cats seal European qualification, whilst contributing hugely to Switzerland reaching the final 8 of the World Cup for the first time in 72 years.
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Where does this leave Chelsea’s transfer plans?
The club don’t appear to be interested in recruiting any other leaders based on the current transfer rumours.
Pep Chavarria is pretty old at 28, but the Rayo Vallecano defender has never been a top-level player, and it is believed he is only being pursued after the failure to recruit another of Alonso’s former players, Alejandro Grimaldo.
Maxence Lacroix is arguably more in line with what Alonso has requested, but he has only captained Crystal Palace once in 98 appearances, so you do wonder how well he would do if he is asked to take on a leadership position in Chelsea’s squad.
