Granit Xhaka will continue to push for a move to Chelsea with personal terms already ‘guaranteed’.
The 33-year-old midfielder has emerged as a shock target for the Blues who are looking to add more experience to a squad that floundered baddly last season.
BlueCo appear ready to admit the mistakes that have undermined their attempts to arm various managers with squads capable of competing for major trophies.
The likes of Enzo Maresca, Graham Potter and Mauricio Pochettino have all struggled to keep pace with the likes of Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool as a consequence of a strategy that has relied upon recruiting Europe and South America’s best emerging talent.
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Upon appointing Xabi Alonso as Liam Rosenior’s permanent replacement, the Spaniard was notably given the title of manager rather than head coachfollowing his insistence that he be heavily involved in player recruitment.
Complementing Chelsea’s best young players with seasoned Premier League performers represents a priority for the latest man in the Chelsea hot seat.
A deal to sign Crystal Palace’s France international centre-half Maxence Lacroix appears to be progressing well, while Xhaka would add vast knowhow to a midfield engine room that could well be losing Enzo Fernandez to Real Madrid.
According to Fabrizio Romano, Xhaka wants to be reunited with Alonso at Stamford Bridge given the success they enjoyed together at Bayer Leverkusen where they helped the club win a first Bundesliga title, dethroning Bayern Munich in the process.
Moreover, Xhaka is keen to relocate his young family to London where he spent seven years as an Arsenal player, several as club captain, having spent last season at Sunderland.
Xhaka captain the Black Cats during their first season back in the top flightin eight years and helped secure unlikely European qualification, ironically after they beat Chelsea at home on the final day of an uplifting campaign.
After that match, Xhaka addressed the Sunderland fans and claimed ‘it was only the start’ but he now appears determined to renege on that promise and sign for Chelsea.
Sunderland, however, will not part with the veteran midfielder, who is currently playing for Switzerland at the World Cup, without a fight.
Xhaka joined Sunderland last summer in a £13million deal and with two years left on his contract they will at least hope to make their money back, if not a significant profit.