Chelsea plan raid on Premier League rivals for shock signing as Xabi Alonso makes transfer demand

Chelsea are planning to target one of their Premier League rivals for what would be one of the most unexpected transfers of the summer, it has been reported.

The Blues have officially brought in four players during the summer window thus far, though all of those deals were signed off before the window opened.

They have sold Marc Cucurella to Real Madrid and are set to complete a deal worth around £47.4 million to sign Atalanta wing-back Marco Palestra.

Palestra, 21, made his senior international debut for Italy earlier this year, but didn't even play for Atalanta during the 2025/26 season as he was on loan at fellow Serie A side Cagliari.

Xabi Alonso has been given more control over transfers as part of his contract as the new Chelsea manager - and wants to make his presence felt in a big way.

Chelsea target shock Premier League transfer

That's according to Sky Sports reporter Kaveh Solhekol, who claims that Chelsea are interested in signing Sunderland midfielder and captain Granit Xhaka this summer.

Sky's North East correspondent Keith Downie says that Sunderland do not want to sell Xhaka and are not inviting offers, but that Alonso has 'big interest' in reuniting with the 34-year-old after managing him at Bayer Leverkusen.

Xhaka played a crucial role in Sunderland qualifying for European football for the first time in their history, with Regis Le Bris' side preparing to compete in the Europa League next season.

The Black Cats, in fact, secured qualification by beating Chelsea, who were then under the interim charge of Calum McFarlane, 2-1 on the final day of the season.

Chelsea took only six points from the final six games of the season under McFarlane, which ultimately dropped them out of the European places entirely.

Xhaka was seen as a landmark signing by Sunderland last summer when they brought him to the north east from Bayer Leverkusen, and their periods of poor form usually aligned with the Switzerland international being unavailable.

Granit Xhaka was a key player for Sunderland last season (Image: Getty)

The 34-year-old is currently with Switzerland at the 2026 World Cup, with his side progressing through the group stage as group winners after two wins and six points from their three matches.

Xhaka scored a penalty in second half stoppage time as his nation defeated Bosnia and Herzegovina 4-1 in the second game.

As a result of winning Group B, Switzerland will take on one of the third-placed teams, the exact identity of which will not be determined until the conclusion of tonight's fixtures.

Sunderland fans, meanwhile, may be reassured by comments Xhaka made at the beginning of this summer about his future.

Speaking earlier in June, Xhaka said he 'was not thinking about a transfer' away from the Stadium of Light.

He told Swiss outlet Blick: "The move from Leverkusen to Sunderland wasn't a snap decision. I had a lot of discussions with the owner, sporting director, and manager before I signed.

"It's a bit like home for me. The city feels like Basel. Like the St. Johann district, where I grew up. You can only perform at your best when you feel comfortable in a place. For me, the most important thing is that my family is happy. And we are in Sunderland.

"I'm not even thinking about a transfer. I'm really happy to finally have a summer without any speculation about my future. That's rarely been the case in recent years. This allows me to fully focus on the World Cup."