Chelsea identified the 33-year-old as an ideal addition over the summer, valuing both his lengthy top-flight experience and his previous working relationship with Xabi Alonso at Bayer Leverkusen, but had a £8 million bid rejected by Sunderland, who considered the offer disrespectful. The Blues ultimately abandoned their pursuit after being told the midfielder was untouchable, turning instead to Jordan Henderson, 36, and Danny Welbeck, 35.
Speaking on the Sports Agents Podcast, Xhaka said he viewed Chelsea's interest as a compliment but felt his priority remained finishing what he started at the Stadium of Light.
"When I signed the contract here, there was a plan behind the scenes, and the plan was to stick to this project, to believe in this project, and to work for this project," he said.
"And I always say to myself and to the people around, I didn't come here for one season.
"It's a big privilege that a football club like Chelsea want a player, nearly 34 years old. There was something behind, yes, for sure, but my commitment to the club was straight for it."
Xhaka signed for Sunderland in the summer of 2025 and captained the club to Europa League qualification in his first season, a stunning achievement following promotion from the Championship, making 34 Premier League appearances in the process. With two years still to run on his contract, he reaffirmed his commitment to the club's European campaign.
"When I spoke with the owner of Sunderland, I told him from the beginning, I don't have the feeling that this project is done yet, and this is my motivation," he said. "I want to enjoy the European football with this football club with the fans, and hopefully we can get more after this season."
Sunderland begin their Europa League campaign at home to AZ Alkmaar next Wednesday, with Lech Poznan, Dinamo Zagreb and Anderlecht also among their opponents in the league phase, marking the club's first European campaign since 1973-74, and a central reason behind Xhaka's decision to stay and see the project through.