Granit Xhaka is currently at the World Cup training camp in San Diego with the Swiss national team—and, according to a red-hot rumor, could soon be working alongside his former coach from his time at Bayer Leverkusen again.
Granit Xhaka’s return to the Premier League was truly impressive. At newly promoted AFC Sunderland, the Swiss midfielder pulled the strings as captain, just as fans had come to expect from his time at Arsenal (2016–2023).
The midfield playmaker’s performances in 34 league games (one goal) picked up seamlessly where he left off at Bayer 04 Leverkusen. With Sunderland, the veteran—who is currently with the Swiss national team at the World Cup in North America and faces either Algeria or Iran in the Round of 32 on Thursday night into Friday—also unexpectedly secured a spot in the Europa League by finishing 7th in the standings.
Calls from the former Bayer title-winning midfielder?
In short: Xhaka, who had recently come under criticism following the Swiss national team’s rocky start to the World Cup, proved once again that, even at 33, he can still hold his own at the highest level.
Xabi Alonso, of all people, knows only too well what qualities the Basel native and former FC Basel player brings to the table. Under the former world-class midfielder, Xhaka emerged as one of the key players during Bayer’s undefeated championship season, which included a DFB Cup triumph.
Starting next season, Xabi Alonso will be on the sidelines at Chelsea FC—with the task of getting the Blues, who have completely missed out on European competition, back on the path to success. And just as in Leverkusen, Xhaka is apparently set to play a key role in this effort. This is reported by Andreas Böni on the Swiss pay-TV channel blue Sport from San Diego.
Will Chelsea reach an agreement with Sunderland?
It’s a very hot rumor making the rounds just before the start of the World Cup knockout stage. According to the report, talks between the highly experienced Xhaka (149 international appearances, 174 Bundesliga appearances, 259 Premier League appearances, 32 Champions League appearances) and the Blues are already said to be at an advanced stage.
According to the source cited, the two English teams are negotiating with each other. Sunderland is reportedly demanding a transfer fee of between 35 and 40 million—a figure that remains substantial given his age—for its leader and captain, who is under contract until June 30, 2028. By comparison, when Xhaka moved from Leverkusen to England a year ago, “only” a reported 15 million euros changed hands.
If a deal is reached, Chelsea would become Xhaka’s fifth club in a top European league—following his time with Borussia Mönchengladbach in the Bundesliga (2012–2016), his long stint at Arsenal, Leverkusen, and Sunderland.
