Sunderland manager Lebrides has confirmed he has rejected Chelsea's offer for Xhaka.

Sunderland manager Régis Le Bris has publicly stated that Chelsea's pursuit of captain Granit Xhaka is now completely over, and emphasized that the team will not let go of their key leader this summer.

Last season, Sunderland returned to the Premier League and successfully qualified for the Europa League, with 33-year-old Granit Xhaka playing a crucial role. Chelsea's new manager, Xabi Alonso, had been keen to reunite the former Bayer Leverkusen player, and Chelsea even made an £8 million offer, but Sunderland decisively rejected it.

After Sunderland's 2-4 preseason defeat to Udoh on Saturday, Lebrides told the media: "This topic is over. Xhaka is very clear about his future. He loves Sunderland and wants to stay and continue to be involved in creating the club's future. He is an excellent captain and a great leader."

Despite facing the dual challenges of European competitions next season, Sunderland have been very restrained in the transfer market, signing only Belgian defender Thomas Meunier on a free transfer so far.

Regarding future reinforcement plans, Lebrides added: "We will work quietly behind the scenes. It's very important to keep a low profile, otherwise everything will fall apart. Unlike last season, when we had to sign 14 new players at once during the rebuilding period, this transfer window will be much calmer. Just wait and see."

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