Sunderland blocked Xhaka's move to Chelsea

Sunderland rejected an opening bid of £8 million. The 33-year-old Swiss, whose contract with Sunderland runs until 2028, has become a real leader of the team. He played a key role last season following his £17m move from Bayer Leverkusen. Xhaka, wearing the captain's armband, helped Regis Le Brice's team to take seventh place and qualify for the Europa League — and the Black Cats won a ticket to the European Cups precisely at the expense of Chelsea on the last day of the season. Granit, who is currently playing for Switzerland at the World Cup, has missed just four appearances in the tournament and has been widely praised for his influence in the dressing room. Sources at the club stress that Sunderland are under no financial pressure and have no intention of letting go of their key player. Despite the club's tough stance, Xhaka himself is open to a possible move to Stamford Bridge. The main motivation is to reunite with the current coach of the Blues, Xabi Alonso, under whose leadership the Swiss triumphed in the Bundesliga. However, the personal terms of the contract with the Londoners have not yet been agreed upon. For Chelsea, the potential transfer of the player, who will be 34 years old in September, would mean a radical change in the club's philosophy: During the last two seasons, the Londoners had the youngest team in the Premier League. During this period, the club did not allow players 30 years of age or older onto the field. However, now the management, including co-owner Behdad Eghbali, recognizes the need for adjustments in the selection of personnel. The team is sorely lacking in leadership qualities and the right culture in the dressing room - precisely the traits that the former Arsenal player has successfully instilled in Sunderland's squad. The search for a new central midfielder comes amid growing expectations of a possible departure for Enzo Fernandez. It is expected that