Chelsea Face Steep Price for Xhaka as Transfer Record Looms

Xabi Alonso's preferred target comes with a hefty price tag that could force Chelsea into uncharted financial territory. While Fabrizio Romano suggests the west Londoners hope to land Granit Xhaka for somewhere between €30m and €40m, Sunderland have other ideas entirely.

The Black Cats hold all the leverage here. They brought the Swiss midfielder back to English football, constructed their team around him as captain, and watched that gamble pay dividends with a Europa League qualification. With two years still on his contract, they're unlikely to be shifting him on the cheap.

Should Chelsea push through with their pursuit, they may find themselves exceeding every over-30 signing the Premier League has witnessed. Here's how the market has moved historically:

The Record Books

Ashley Williams cost Everton £11m in 2016, arriving from Swansea as a seasoned operator with Champions League pedigree. The move proved a false economy; he'd shuffled off to Stoke on loan before his contract wound down.

Kieran Trippier's £12m switch from Atletico Madrid to Newcastle in 2022 symbolised something far more valuable – a cultural reset under new ownership. Eddie Howe's pragmatism in the transfer market stood in stark contrast to the fevered speculation surrounding Mbappé and Haaland at the time.

Cristiano Ronaldo's arrival at Manchester United for £12.8m in 2021 remains the most expensive 33-year-old transfer ever struck. The subsequent chaos – his petulant exit, the reputational damage, the Saudi Arabia denouement – serves as a masterclass in how ego-driven signings can derail institutional progress.

Fernando Llorente commanded £14m when Tottenham came calling in 2017, fresh off a 15-goal debut season at Swansea. His Spurs career proved considerably more modest, yielding just two Premier League goals across 36 appearances, though he occasionally showed his worth in European competition.

Chris Wood's £15m move from Newcastle to Nottingham Forest in 2023 initially felt like a panic buy. Yet it evolved into one of the shrewder acquisitions of recent seasons, with the striker becoming Forest's all-time Premier League leading scorer.

Claudio Bravo's £15.4m transfer from Barcelona to Manchester City in 2016 remains Pep Guardiola's admitted regret. A calamitous debut and a red card in a 4-0 Champions League hammering by his former club sealed his fate; he was benched by February.

The Xhaka Question

At £17.3m, Xhaka's current valuation from Bayer Leverkusen to Sunderland in 2025 could require doubling if Chelsea genuinely intend to succeed. Sunderland's obstinacy is entirely justified – they've built something genuine around their captain.

Olivier Giroud arrived at Chelsea for £18m in 2018, ending up as a more palatable alternative to the club's increasingly desperate pursuit of target men. The Frenchman never became a regular starter but collected a Champions League, Europa League, and FA Cup medal alongside his World Cup honour.

Niclas Fullkrug's £27m move from Borussia Dortmund to West Ham in 2024 represented a significant outlay for a 31-year-old, though the German's subsequent form left much to be desired.

The Cautionary Tale

Kalidou Koulibaly holds the record at £33m, arriving from Napoli in 2022 as part of Chelsea's pivot towards "ready-made" additions. One season of sluggish, unconvincing defending proved sufficient to demonstrate the folly of the investment. The club recouped most of their money when Saudi Arabia came calling, but the damage was done.

Chelsea's latest shopping spree for over-30s represents a philosophical shift worth monitoring. Whether Xhaka becomes the next triumph or the next Koulibaly may well depend on whether Sunderland's asking price finally breaks the bank – or Chelsea's resolve.