“He wants to stay” – Manager confirms Premier League star will not join Chelsea

Sunderland boss Regis Le Bris has said that midfielder Granit Xhaka, a Chelsea target, wants to remain at the Stadium of Light, having arrived from Bayer Leverkusen in the summer of 2025.

Xhaka, 33, produced a decent first campaign on his return to English football, scoring once and registering six assists in 36 games across competitions. All seven goal contributions came in 34 games in the Premier League, where the Black Cats finished seventh to qualify for the UEFA Europa League.

While his contract runs till 2028, Xhaka has been linked with the Blues, but Black Cats boss Le Bris ruled out his captain’s reunion with his former Leverkusen’s head coach Xabi Alonso, who has taken over at Stamford Bridge this summer.

“No, this topic is closed,” Le Bris said (as per Tribal Football). “He has been really clear about his future. He loves Sunderland, he wants to stay in Sunderland. He wants to make the future of Sunderland. He is a good captain. Great leader.”

Xhaka played two seasons under Alonso at the Bay Arena, scoring thrice in 33 games as Leverkusen became the first unbeaten Bundesliga champions in 2023-24. Overall, he played 99 games under the Spaniard, contributing six goals and nine assists.

“He’s a real fighter” – What Chelsea boss Xabi Alonso has said about Granit Xhaka

Chelsea boss Xabi Alonso waxed lyrical about Granit Xhaka when the duo were together at Bayer Leverkusen for two seasons. Having arrived at Stamford Bridge this summer, Alonso is reportedly seeking a reunion with the Swiss midfielder.

In June, Sky Sports’ Florian Plettenberg reported that the Blues had agreed personal terms with Xhaka and that they were in talks with Sunderland for a possible transfer.

“Granit is a real fighter, he showed the big heart he has,” Alonso said in 2024 (as per Yahoo Sport).

“He really wanted to stay on the field and continued to fight. He continued to play in a very disciplined and focused manner. He is an aggressive leader and constantly pushes the limits.”

However, as per Tribal Football, the Blues saw a £8 million bid for Xhaka turned down by the Black Cats, who deemed Chelsea’s bid ‘insulting,’ with Sunderland boss Regis Le Bris’ statement suggesting that the midfielder might remain at the club.