Xhaka's Chelsea Gambit: The Xabi Alonso Factor in Summer's Most Intriguing Transfer Chase

Granit Xhaka's apparent desperation to join Chelsea has given the transfer saga a new lease of life, with credible reports suggesting the 33-year-old Switzerland international is actively driving the move to Stamford Bridge.

The story first surfaced on June 27, when Chelsea's interest in prising Xhaka away from Sunderland became public knowledge. Now, transfer correspondent Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that both player and club are "dead serious" about making it happen, with Xhaka himself "pushing hard" to complete the switch.

The magnetic pull? Xabi Alonso. Chelsea's new manager and Xhaka worked together at Bayer Leverkusen, where they captured the Bundesliga title during the 2023/24 season. That shared history appears to be the decisive factor in the midfielder's thinking.

Sunderland, who acquired Xhaka from Leverkusen last summer for £17.5m, have already rebuffed Chelsea's opening gambit of £8m. The club remains reluctant to part with their midfielder, particularly given that he is currently representing Switzerland at the 2026 World Cup. Whispers suggest Chelsea will table a fresh offer in the region of £10m.

Romano elaborated on the situation, noting that Xhaka's previous transfer ambitions took him in a different direction. "A year ago, he was desperate to move to Italy," Romano explained to Time2Play. "AC Milan had him as their primary target for their 2025/26 project, but that fell through, and he ended up at Sunderland instead."

The midfielder's current mindset is altogether different. "Xhaka wants back into London and is pushing hard to reunite with Xabi Alonso," Romano continued. "Chelsea has already submitted an initial proposal and will improve it very soon."

Alonso's influence extends beyond Xhaka. The former Real Madrid boss has already overseen Chelsea's acquisition of Marco Palestra from Atalanta, beating Inter Milan to the 21-year-old Italy international's signature. The youngster signed a contract through 2033 and has spoken enthusiastically about the manager's role in his decision.

"It was very important," Palestra told Chelsea's official channels. "I feel a lot of energy from him. He is one of the best managers in the world, as you can see from what he achieved at Bayer Leverkusen. It's important for me to have Xabi Alonso as the manager."

The teenager revealed that Alonso had already outlined his tactical vision during their conversations. "He told me what he wanted from me," Palestra explained. "I'm very happy to know him and to start training with Chelsea. A lot of things convinced me to join Chelsea, one of the best clubs in the world. We have so many talented players here, a very strong squad and manager in Xabi. He has spoken to me about how he wants us to play, which is exciting, and we can't wait to compete in the Premier League."