Chelsea's pursuit of former Arsenal captain Granit Xhaka has been met with resistance from Sunderland, who deemed the club's initial £8m bid as insulting given the player's importance to their team.
Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso believes Xhaka can bring much-needed experience and leadership to the struggling Blues, who finished 10th in the Premier League last season.
However, former England striker and Premier League record goalscorer Alan Shearer has expressed his disbelief at Chelsea's offer, calling it "ridiculous" given Xhaka's value to Sunderland after joining the club for £17m.
"Sunderland bought Granit Xhaka for £17m and he was one of the best players in the Premier League last season," Shearer said.
"He wasn't just one of the best players at Sunderland, but in the Premier League. And Chelsea think they can come in and offer less than half of what they bought him for and think that's acceptable?"
Xhaka, who played for Arsenal between 2016 and 2023, is keen to move to Stamford Bridge given his previous relationship with Alonso and the club's status as one of the biggest in the Premier League.
Chelsea legend Joe Cole has endorsed the Blues' move for Xhaka, insisting he "likes everything about it."
"Going after Xhaka is a good sign for Chelsea fans because it shows that the handcuffs of only signing young players and developing them are now off," Cole said.
Xhaka is currently at the World Cup with Switzerland, who face Algeria in their last-32 clash on Friday.
