Chelsea have reached a ‘verbal agreement’ to sign Sunderland midfielder Granit Xhaka this summer, according to Florian Plettenberg.
Xhaka joined Sunderland last season from Bayer Leverkusen for a fee around £13m, which has now proven to be a bargain.
The 33-year-old started 32 Premier League matches and made a further two appearances from the bench as the Black Cats secured an impressive seventh-place finish and qualified for the Europa League in their first season back in the top flight after promotion from the Championship.
Across those league outings, he contributed one goal and six assists, playing a central role in Sunderland’s remarkable campaign and their qualification for the 2026-27 Europa League.
After an individual outstanding season, a departure could be on the cards this summer, as Florian Plettenberg claims that Chelsea have reached a ‘verbal agreement’ with Xhaka.
The Blues have also agreed personal terms with the experienced midfielder and are now set to initiate club-to-club talks with Sunderland over his potential transfer to Stamford Bridge this summer, Plettenberg adds.
Having expressed his desire to add the Swiss to his squad, the transfer expert reports that Chelsea boss Xabi Alonso is ‘pushing hard’ for the midfielder to join the club.
Plettenberg adds that Xhaka is now waiting for Chelsea and Sunderland to reach an agreement, which is expected to be a similar fee to the one the Black Cats paid to sign him in the summer.
Xhaka to Chelsea
Chelsea have prioritised recruiting young players from across the world in recent years.
While that strategy could prove beneficial over time, the squad still lacks experienced figures across several areas of the pitch.
The Blues also finished last season as the Premier League’s most ill-disciplined side, receiving more red cards than any other club.
Although Xhaka, who has made 259 Premier League appearances, would not represent a long-term investment, Chelsea need an immediate injection of leadership, experience and game management, particularly in the defensive phase.
The Swiss midfielder’s impact at Sunderland in under a year speaks for itself, and Chelsea will be hoping he can bring that same authority to their youthful squad if an agreement to reunite with Alonso is reached.
Should the deal be completed, he would be expected to partner with Moisés Caicedo in the heart of Chelsea’s midfield, while also providing the manager with an experienced alternative whenever squad rotation is required.
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