Xhaka explains rejecting Chelsea move to stay at Sunderland

Granit Xhaka has publicly explained his decision to reject a summer transfer to Chelsea, stating his commitment to Sunderland's ongoing project. The midfielder revealed that Chelsea made an £8 million bid for him during the recent transfer window, an offer that Sunderland rejected and communicated was not acceptable. Xhaka, who is nearly 34, discussed the situation on The Sports Agents podcast. He described the interest from Chelsea and manager Xabi Alonso, with whom he previously worked at Bayer Leverkusen, as a "big privilege." However, he emphasized that his focus remained on Sunderland, where he signed a contract with a long-term plan in mind. "When I signed the contract here, there was a plan behind the scenes, and the plan was to stick to this project, to believe in this project and to work for this project," Xhaka said. "And I always say to myself and to the people around, I didn't come here for one season." He added that his commitment to the club was straightforward from the beginning. "When I spoke with the owner of Sunderland, I told him from the beginning, I don't have the feeling that this project is done yet, and this is my motivation.