Chelsea want to sign Granit Xhaka-type player but already had one before £12m sale

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New Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso and Sunderland midfielder Granit Xhaka enjoyed an excellent relationship with each other at Bayer Leverkusen.

Despite that, there is nothing to suggest that Chelsea are going to make a move for the Switzerland international this summer.

However, it is thought that they want to sign players like Xhaka in the transfer window, experienced footballers who know how to handle adversity.

A few seasons ago, though, the club had someone just like that but let him go. It is a shame given that they are now scouring the transfer market for the same kind of player.

Chelsea are reportedly set to tweak their transfer strategy and sign more experienced players!

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Chelsea already had their own Granit Xhaka: Jorginho

According to football.london, Xhaka’s profile is what Chelsea are going to be searching for in the coming weeks and months. Xhaka would be a smart buy, but in Jorginho, they already had a player who was very similar to the Sunderland captain.

Both men are experienced pros, with Jorginho just one year older than Xhaka. Their playing styles are virtually identical.

Xhaka and Jorginho like to sit deep where they can control the game with their passing. They are also leaders and have demonstrated that.

Xhaka is currently Sunderland captain, while Jorginho was Chelsea’s vice-captain before signing for Arsenal in a £12m deal in 2023.

In terms of bouncing back from adversity, there was the infamous incident at the Emirates where Xhaka was booed off by Arsenal supporters before being stripped of the captaincy. That never stopped him from rebuilding his career in Germany and winning the Bundesliga title undefeated under Alonso.

Jorginho also faced similar treatment at Chelsea before he went on to win the Champions League and UEFA Men’s Player of the Year award in 2021.

If Chelsea’s strategy had a bit more balance to it, they probably would have tried to hold on to their more experienced players like Jorginho and Mateo Kovacic. Instead, the Blues are now in the market for such footballers who will probably not even possess the same quality as some of the names they have got rid of.