27 Jun 2026 18:29:40
Granit Xhaka is the midfield signing. Club fully backing the new manager.
27 Jun 2026 20:42:37
Would be a very interesting signing. I mentioned the other day what had happened to the Premier League-ready and experienced idea; this certainly falls into that category, and he is a character / leader.
It does look like we are trying to add some physicality to the squad, with the players linked: Palestra, Lacroix, Xhaka.
A good thing, in my opinion, because we can look soft at times.
27 Jun 2026 21:04:17
Under most circumstances, Chelsea signing Xhaka would not have got me excited. But, the fact he was central to Alonso's Leverkusen side, alongside both how good he was for Sunderland last season and the fact it's the club swaying from their model to support the manager - it's another good bit of business this summer.
28 Jun 2026 01:15:07
Agreed. I think he will be one of our best signings come the end of the year. We haven't had an experienced leader since Tiago left, and it will be huge for the entire squad! Being able to show the lads in training what is expected from Xabi can't be understated either.
Really happy to see the model is shifting, and that Xabi seems to have a high level of say in what's going on.
28 Jun 2026 09:03:06
This is a completely different player than the one who left Arsenal. If we get it over the line, he'll be a standard setter and I get the impression that he'd be quick to let players know when the standards required aren't being met. Forget anything he does on the pitch. That's what's needed. I believe Alonso referred to him as a coach on the pitch.
28 Jun 2026 09:08:25
If Xhaka happens, it will be a very smart move by Alonso and the club. It tweaks the model nicely, and allows the very promising young players already signed up to both learn from an experienced player and have a clear pathway of their own.
I'm thinking of Andre Santos in particular. I far prefer this route as opposed to spending large on Adam Wharton and binning off Santos on some far away loan, only to lose him going forward.