Why Chelsea must now end Granit Xhaka interest and risk upsetting Xabi Alonso

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Chelsea are trying to back their new manager Xabi Alonso after making a bid for Sunderland’s Granit Xhaka.

Xhaka is not the type of player Chelsea have targeted since being taken over by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital.

At 33, he does not really fit the club’s age range. Nevertheless, Chelsea have still made an £8m bid for Xhaka.

There is acknowledgment at Stamford Bridge that the team could do with more experience, while the Blues have also given Alonso a big say on transfers. He is clearly eyeing a reunion with his former player, and while Chelsea fans will be glad to see the club backing him, BlueCo need to draw a line somewhere.

Sunderland’s demands for Granit Xhaka are too high

Chelsea’s offer for Xhaka was too low, but what Sunderland are asking for is quite excessive for a player who turns 34 in September.

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Speaking about Chelsea’s interest in Xhaka on talkSPORT, journalist Alex Crook said: “Eight million is not going to get the job done. I was told that they’re asking for in excess of 30 if they were to even entertain a deal.”

Sunderland have every right to set that price tag. Xhaka is their captain and a brilliant midfielder, so he is valuable to them.

But again, he is 33 and has very little resale value. The Switzerland international is not going to be worth over £30m to Chelsea, especially considering the fact that he may not even be a starter for them next season.

Moises Caicedo is Chelsea’s first-choice midfielder, while Enzo Fernandez has not departed yet. It will be difficult to break into the team ahead of them.

The latter could leave at some point. Real Madrid are interested in Fernandez, but they are yet to submit an official bid for him.

• READ MORE: Chelsea fail to learn from ’embarrassing’ Granit Xhaka move as first Pep Chavarria bid rejected

All in all, Xhaka could be a great addition to this Chelsea squad. He would bring experience and leadership to this side, things currently lacking. However, going over £30m for a player who may only be at the club for a year or two does not seem worth it.