Chelsea remain interested in signing Granit Xhaka from Sunderland during this transfer window.
Chelsea have already had one bid for Xhaka rejected, but it is thought that they have not given up on bringing the midfielder to Stamford Bridge just yet.
Despite their intense pursuit of Xhaka, some at Chelsea do not appear to be entirely convinced about signing the Switzerland international.
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Unsurprisingly, Xabi Alonso is the one driving Chelsea’s interest in Xhaka. The new Blues boss worked alongside the Sunderland captain at Bayer Leverkusen, and the pair won the Bundesliga title together.
According to journalist Simon Phillips, who has given an update on Chelsea’s pursuit of Xhaka on Si Phillips Talks Chelsea, there was a debate at the club as to whether the former Leverkusen man can maintain the level he has been playing at.
It is a fair concern, as Xhaka is 33 now and turns 34 in September. He is no spring chicken anymore.
The Club World Cup holders may also need to replace Enzo Fernandez this summer, and now into his 30s, Xhaka would not be a long-term successor to the Argentine.
He would not be a like-for-like replacement either, with Fernandez playing much closer to goal than Xhaka.
Granit Xhaka bid was still the right call
At the end of the day, Xhaka could still be a low-risk, high-reward signing for Chelsea. If Sunderland are willing to sell the ex-Arsenal star for a reasonable fee, the Blues would be getting a very experienced player who knows Alonso’s style of play.
Unfortunately for Alonso, Sunderland seem unwilling to play ball, and Chelsea are not going to overpay for a player in his 30s.
It was worth the time identifying Xhaka as a target and making a bid for him, but Chelsea may not have any success in this transfer pursuit.
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