Sunderland fans have reacted furiously to the prospect of their captain Granit Xhaka joining Chelsea just weeks after his speech to supporters speaking about the future.
Xhaka addressed fans at the Stadium of Light five weeks ago after an inspirational campaign, saying: ‘These people, what they did with this team, these players, staff, everyone including the club is f***ing incredible. Massive thank you as well to you guys, without your support home and away this isn’t possible. I can promise you from my side like a captain of this football club, this is just the beginning and we will want more. Enjoy the moment and we’ll see you soon.’
But Sunderland fans may never see the skipper play for the club again, with Chelsea showing an interest in reuniting him with his old Bayer Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso.
Sunderland insist he is not for sale and insist there has been no club-to-club contact but that has not stopped a hostile reaction to the 34-year-old online.
One wrote: ‘Doesn’t even matter if the deal falls through imo, the fact he’s willing to “accept any conditions” to get his move is scummy as f***, he can do one.’
Another posted: ‘The Granit Xhaka transfer has annoyed me more than any other I think. He’s genuinely still a top class player and if he moved on to a bigger club due to location, wages etc Thats fine – it happens.
Chelsea are interested in a move for Granit Xhaka, sparking fury among Sunderland fans
‘But… it’s the utter bull**** he’s fed the fans. Wanting to play for a working class club, with working class fans, to join a commercialised heap of s*** team in the biggest commercialised heap of s*** city.
‘Not just a kick in the teeth for the fans, but the city too. Meaningless words. The hate watch is going to be insane like.’
While a third came up with an inventive idea: ‘If he joins Chelsea, when we play them at home next season, we should play his end of season speech on the screens right before kick off . . . Let him listen to his words in front of us all… Imagine… We should do this.’
Xhaka is currently on international duty with Switzerland at the World Cup and the captain has led them to the knockout stages where they will play Algeria.
As Daily Mail Sport’s Simon Jones reported on Saturday, Xhaka, who played for Arsenal between 2016 and 2023, turns 34 in September so Chelsea would not want to pay too much.
He is under contract at the Stadium of Light until 2028 but is understood to be keen on linking up again with Alonso and being part of a new project.
Sunderland signed him for £13million last summer and he played a key part in keeping the club in the Premier League.
Chelsea’s surprise interest in Xhaka has seemingly won the approval of star man Cole Palmer, who ‘liked’ an Instagram post revealing the news on Saturday evening.
Chelsea’s latest signing Marco Palestra, meanwhile, has had his medical for the £50m move from Atalanta.
Como and Inter Milan remain interested in Trevoh Chalobah and Chelsea – who could sign two central defenders this summer – are maintaining contact over Crystal Palace’s Maxence Lacroix.
Chelsea want around £35million for Chalobah. Como had offered £22m for the 26-year-old England centre back, which was dismissed.
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