Sunderland captain Granit Xhaka is currently at the centre of a heated transfer tussle.

Kevin Phillips has delivered his view on the ongoing transfer saga surrounding Granit Xhaka, claiming that no Sunderland fan wants to see him leave the club this summer.

The Black Cats captain has emerged as a key target for newly appointed Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso, who previously worked alongside the midfielder during a highly successful stint at Bayer Leverkusen in Germany.

To that end, the Blues have already had a bid of around £8 million soundly rejected by Sunderland, with the stance on Wearside being that Xhaka is not for sale. Speculation surrounding a potential deal refuses to quieten down, however, with various reports asserting that the player himself is keen to seal a switch to Stamford Bridge over the coming weeks.

In Phillips’ view, losing Xhaka would be a sizeable blow to his former club, and one that they should be properly compensated for if the worst comes to the worst. Speaking exclusively to The Echo, courtesy of BestBettingSites, he said: “No Sunderland fan, including myself, wants to see Granit Xhaka leave the football club after having a superb season and being a leader of our football club and setting the standards that haven’t been there for a long, long time.

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“So no one wants to see him leave, but football being football, nothing surprises me. And if it was to happen, Sunderland paid £13 million for him. And I think with £4 million in additional add-ons, there’s £17 million. So if it was to happen - and I sincerely hope it doesn’t - then they’ve got to be looking to get their money back, as simple as that, maybe with a bit more.

“I know he’s 33 years of age, but if you want the player, someone’s not going to lose out on him. I think they’re going to have to cough up at least £15 to 20 million. He’s still got two years left on his contract. Sunderland don’t have to sell, but it’d be interesting to see what happens. But certainly, we don’t want to lose him at the football club because he’s a fantastic player.”

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