Régis Le Bris has declared Chelsea’s pursuit of Granit Xhaka “closed” after Sunderland rejected an £8m bid for their captain earlier this summer. The new Chelsea manager, Xabi Alonso, was keen to reunite with the midfielder he coached at Bayer Leverkusen, but the Black Cats refused to negotiate.
“No, this topic is closed,” Le Bris said after Sunderland’s 4-2 pre-season friendly defeat to Liverpool in Nashville on Saturday. “He has been really clear about his future. He loves Sunderland, he wants to stay in Sunderland. He wants to make the future of Sunderland. He is a good captain. Great leader.”
“Sunderland boss says Granit Xhaka will stay after rejecting Chelsea's £8m bid.”
Xhaka, 33, joined Sunderland last summer from Leverkusen and was instrumental in the club’s surprise qualification for the Europa League on their return to the Premier League. He made 36 appearances and scored one goal last season. Asked about the Chelsea interest during the World Cup, Xhaka initially demurred, saying: “That’s not my job [to talk about a potential move to Chelsea]. I have my management for that.” But he quickly committed his future, stating: “Sunderland has been my home since day one. We are all very happy. I’ve decided to stay where I am; the most important thing is family. I’m ready to make history with them.”
Sunderland have been quiet in the transfer market so far, with only experienced Belgium defender Thomas Meunier arriving on a free transfer. Le Bris warned fans not to expect a flurry of activity. “It’s going to be quiet,” he said. “Under the radar, right? … We are looking at probably a different transfer window if you compare with last season. We had to sign 14 new players. It won’t be the case this year. We’ll see what will happen.”