Sunderland rejected Chelsea’s £8m offer for Granit Xhaka this summer, but Black Cats manager Regis Le Bris has provided an update on the midfielder’s future.
Xabi Alonso is in charge of his first transfer window as Chelsea manager (Image: Getty Images)
Sunderland manager Regis Le Bris has admitted Granit Xhaka is not going anywhere, weeks after he turned down a move to Chelsea. The former Arsenal player was considering Stamford Bridge, where he made a sensational switch earlier this summer.
Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso was also keen on a deal that would reunite him with the former Bayer Leverkusen star. However, no agreement was reached between the two clubs and Le Bris announced that there was no possibility of restarting negotiations.
Asked about Xhaka’s future after his team lost to Liverpool in pre-season, the Frenchman said: “No, this topic is over.
“He was really clear about his future. He loves Sunderland and he wants to stay at Sunderland. He wants to create a future for Sunderland. He’s a good captain. He’s a great leader.”
Le Bris’ comments come just weeks after Xhaka appeared to have made a U-turn on his future. Speaking during the World Cup, the Swiss midfielder said: “It’s not my job[to talk about a possible move to Chelsea]. That’s up to my management. I want to concentrate completely on the World Cup.”
But soon after, he committed his future to the Black Cats. Xhaka said: “Sunderland has been my home since day one. We are all very happy. I have decided to stay here. The most important thing is my family. I am ready to create history with them.”
Xhaka, 33, only joined Sunderland from Leverkusen last summer and helped the German team win the Bundesliga title. This also marked his first return to the Premier League after a roller coaster period at Arsenal.
Granit Xhaka is the target of a bid from Chelsea (Image: Getty Images)
Xhaka had an impressive debut season at the Stadium of Light, making 36 appearances for Sunderland and scoring one goal. Thanks to his performance, the club qualified for next season’s Europa League.
Sunderland have had a relatively modest summer window this season, only signing Thomas Meunier on a free transfer. When asked if fans could expect more business, Le Bris added:
“It’s private, right? I think we’re working really hard behind the scenes, so it’s really important that we keep quiet, because if we don’t, we’re going to be in trouble.”
“And compared to last season, we are probably looking at a different transfer window. We had to sign 14 new players. That’s not the case this year. We’ll see what happens.”
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