Desailly: Chelsea must give Alonso his top target Granit Xhaka

Marcel Desailly has urged Chelsea to back new manager Xabi Alonso by signing Granit Xhaka this summer, calling it a non-negotiable move if the club wants its philosophy to take shape. Speaking exclusively to sources on behalf of SportsCasting.com, the former Blues defender insisted that Alonso should get his first-choice players – and that means reuniting with the 33-year-old midfielder he coached at Bayer Leverkusen. “Look, I always say for Chelsea now that any player who is going to be signed by the club has to be the first choice of Alonso. Definitely. It’s non-negotiable,” Desailly said. “For Alonso to be able to build his philosophy, he needs to have the players he wants around him.” Desailly pointed to Paris Saint-Germain as a model, where Luis Enrique was allowed to bring in his own targets rather than accepting third or fourth options from a shortlist. “Those decisions have paid dividends. The results for PSG over the last two years have been absolutely magnificent,” he added. Sunderland are not eager to sell their captain. The Championship side paid €15 million to bring Xhaka from Leverkusen last summer and are preparing for a Europa League campaign in 2026-27. Losing him would be a major blow. His Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) stands at €17.1 million, but Chelsea may have to go well beyond €20 million to force a deal – unless Xhaka submits a transfer request before the window closes on September 1. Xhaka is believed to be open to reuniting with Alonso, which could add pressure on Sunderland to negotiate. Desailly believes the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge should not hesitate. “If Alonso really wants Granit Xhaka because he thinks he has something special, why not give him the player?” he said.