The Swiss international Granit Xhaka, a Sunderland player, dealt a strong blow to Chelsea's management plans after their attempt to sign him this summer.
In the past period, there were intensive attempts by Chelsea officials to fulfill the desire of Spanish coach Xabi Alonso to sign Xhaka in the summer, to strengthen the "Blues" midfield.
Sky network reported in breaking news that Xhaka decided to stay with Sunderland and not move to Chelsea, after finding that the "Black Cats" management wants to keep the team captain and not let him go.
Alonso tried to benefit from signing Xhaka, having previously coached the player, specifically when he was with Bayer Leverkusen, where they achieved success together by winning the Bundesliga title.
Xhaka had moved to Sunderland last summer, specifically after the team was promoted to the Premier League, with the deal valued at 15 million euros.
In his first season with Sunderland, the 33-year-old played 36 matches in all local competitions, scoring one goal and providing six assists.