Out of nowhere on Saturday afternoon, it emerged that Chelsea are closing in on a deal for Sunderland midfielder Granit Xhaka in a reunion with Xabi Alonso at Stamford Bridge.
BlueCo’s style has always been signing young players, paying for their potential and profiting on their later-proven quality. Not this time, as Alonso’s power at Chelsea is proven before he even takes office.
Chelsea have quietly changed their logo (new on the right)🤔
Thoughts?
With Marco Palestra through the door, Chelsea have made real inroads into the transfer market. It is expected France World Cup star Maxence Lacroix will complete a move to Stamford Bridge for £50m.
Then, on Saturday evening, it was widely reported by numerous sources that Chelsea have agreed personal terms with Xhaka. It was initially unclear how much Chelsea were willing to pay for Xhaka.
Chelsea deal to sign Granit Xhaka is a no-brainer
The issue with BlueCo’s approach is that they were making high-risk signings. Big amounts of money with no guarantee that the young gems signed would produce. Especially, with first-team pathways clogged.
The reason Xhaka is the complete opposite is that he instantly improves this Chelsea side. There is no waiting to see if he can adapt; Xhaka significantly improves Alonso’s options in the middle of the park.
Not only that, but he brings a leadership element that has been lacking so fundamentally at Chelsea over the last few years. He is the kind of player who raises standards and the performance of his teammates.
Especially because Chelsea are getting Xhaka for a bargain. According to Sky Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg, who was across his £17m move to Sunderland, claims Chelsea are paying a similar amount.
He said on X: “Xabi Alonso made it clear internally from the start that he wanted to sign Granit Xhaka. 33 y/o captain is in full agreement with Chelsea as revealed. Salary and contract length have all been agreed.
“The transfer fee is expected to be in a similar range to the one paid when Xhaka joined Sunderland. It is now up to the clubs to reach an agreement. Negotiations ongoing. Xhaka is waiting,” he reported.
Clearest sign yet that Alonso will use Leverkusen formation
Obviously, this is a deal that goes against BlueCo’s principles. Chelsea will make a loss on Xhaka in terms of the player himself, but Alonso is rightly confident that Xhaka’s arrival will bring Chelsea success.
What target are you setting Xabi Alonso in his first season as Chelsea manager?👀
Champions League qualification will pay for Xhaka’s transfer fee, and then some. That is the kind of level and standards Xhaka will bring to the dressing room at Stamford Bridge. It also signals Alonso’s tactics.
If he is dipping into the market for his old Leverkusen stars – with the likes of Jeremie Frimpong, Ezequiel Palacios and Alejandro Grimaldo also linked – it is clear that Alonso plans to use a 3-4-2-1 system again.
The formation that brought him so much success at Leverkusen, the one that guided him to an unbeaten 2023-24 Bundesliga title. This week, Chelsea have made major moves in the window; Xhaka is the latest.
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