Xhaka agrees Chelsea terms in U-turn weeks after insisting he was happy at Sunderland

Granit Xhaka has agreed personal terms with Chelsea, according to Sky Germany, with the Blues now in formal talks with Sunderland over a transfer fee for the 33-year-old Swiss midfielder — just months after he helped the Black Cats finish seventh in the Premier League.

The report states Chelsea reached a ‘full verbal agreement’ with Xhaka, as new head coach Xabi Alonso moves to bring in a player he knows intimately from their time together at Bayer Leverkusen. Alonso was appointed at Stamford Bridge at the end of the season, replacing the dismissed Enzo Maresca, and is understood to be targeting experienced additions to a squad that has been assembled inconsistently in recent years.

The timing represents a sharp reversal for Xhaka, who spoke glowingly of life on Wearside just weeks ago. In an interview with Swiss outlet Blick ahead of the World Cup, he said: “The city feels like Basel. Like the St. Johann district where I grew up. You can only perform at your best when you feel comfortable in a place.” He added: “I’m not even thinking about a transfer. I’m really happy to finally have a summer without any speculation about my future.”

Sunderland paid £13 million to sign Xhaka from Leverkusen last summer, and head coach Regis Le Bris immediately handed him the captaincy. The decision paid off handsomely — Xhaka missed just four league games all season as the newly promoted club defied pre-season relegation predictions to secure a Europa League place.

Alonso’s desire for a reunion is easy to understand. During their 2023/24 unbeaten Bundesliga title campaign at Leverkusen, Xhaka made 50 appearances across all competitions and was central to everything the Spaniard built. Alonso himself had been out of management since January, when a turbulent six-month stint at Real Madrid ended.

With two years remaining on his Sunderland contract, the Black Cats are under no obligation to sell cheaply. Chelsea have also seen left-back Marc Cucurella depart to Real Madrid this summer, and Enzo Fernandez has been linked with a move away from Stamford Bridge, underlining the scale of the rebuild Alonso faces.

Xhaka is currently representing Switzerland at the World Cup, where they are preparing for a last-32 tie against Algeria.