Sunderland slam the door on Xhaka bid
Chelsea made their move and Sunderland said no. An opening £8m offer for Granit Xhaka was rejected flat, with the Championship club telling your team the 33-year-old is not for sale at any price (1) (2) (4). Sunderland view the bid as unacceptable and insist no further proposals will be entertained (2).
Personal terms agreed despite the standoff
Here is where it gets interesting. Chelsea have already agreed personal terms with Xhaka, and the player wants the move. He is keen to return to London and reunite with Xabi Alonso, who is pushing hard for the reunion (3) (5) (7). The door at Sunderland looks bolted shut, but Alonso and Xhaka are aligned.
Chavarria emerges as a left-back option
With Marc Cucurella heading to Real Madrid, Chelsea are eyeing Rayo Vallecano left-back Pep Chavarria. Marca linked the 28-year-old over the weekend (6). Bobby Vincent reports Chavarria would not be a direct Cucurella replacement, Jorrel Hato is set for a bigger role, but he can cover both left-back and wing-back. Felix Nmecha's name has also surfaced in connection with the deal (6).
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€55m defensive signing in the works
Your team are preparing a major defensive reinforcement after the World Cup. The reported figure is €55m (8). No name yet, but the club are moving.
Chalobah's Como move collapses
Trevoh Chalobah will not be heading to Serie A. Como have walked away from the deal and turned their attention to Galatasaray's Davinson Sánchez instead (9). Chalobah remains a Chelsea player for now, complicating the defensive reshuffle.
Fan-reaktioner
The mood is split between frustration and a quiet sense of inevitability. Plenty of fans think Sunderland's hardline stance is a negotiating posture, not the final word, and point to Xhaka's personal terms as the real leverage. Others are simply enjoying the chaos of Alonso apparently building his midfield around a 33-year-old he trusts. On a brighter note, supporters celebrated Moisés Caicedo being named Ecuador captain, the thread is all pride.
