Exclusive: Xhaka pushing for Milan move as Leverkusen resist
Granit Xhaka wants Milan with all his heart—he sees it as a bus he can't afford to miss at this stage of his career, especially as he's no longer a youngster.
Bayer Leverkusen's hesitations, having already dismantled the squad by letting go of their most sought-after talents, stem from the fact that selling the midfielder would be another heavy blow to their outlook. But Xhaka has made his choice and doesn't intend to go back.
LEVERKUSEN, GERMANY – APRIL 12: Granit Xhaka of Bayer 04 Leverkusen is seen during the Bundesliga match between Bayer 04 Leverkusen and 1. FC Union Berlin at BayArena on April 12, 2025 in Leverkusen, Germany. (Photo by)
Milan need to get closer to the €15 million asking price for his transfer, well beyond any concerns related to his age (the club has always preferred younger players with potential resale value), especially after the deal made with Modric.
Xhaka would add experience to Milan side
LEVERKUSEN, GERMANY – MARCH 11: Granit Xhaka of Bayer 04 Leverkusen reacts at full time during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 Round of 16 second leg match between Bayer 04 Leverkusen and FC Bayern München at BayArena on March 11, 2025 in Leverkusen, Germany. (Photo by)
Xhaka played 33 times in Bundesliga for Leverkusen last season and although the player turns 33 in September, his vast experience in the German top flight and Premier League would be an important boost if Milan were to sign the midfielder.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
‘Team Ronaldo' Palmeiras defender Murilo eyes win over Messi, vows to do ‘siu' celebration if he scores
Palmeiras defender Murilo has set his sights on cancelling out the threat of Lionel Messi when his side plays Inter Miami on Monday — in part because he is 'team Ronaldo'. The centre-back has played 90 minutes in each of his team's Group A matches so far, helping them keep clean sheets against Porto and Al Ahly. Advertisement Now comes a first-vs-second clash with the MLS outfit, and a chance to test himself against perhaps the greatest player of all time. Not that Murilo would describe Messi in those terms. He prefers the Argentine's great rival, Cristiano Ronaldo, as he admitted in Sunday's pre-match press duties. 'I'm team Ronaldo,' Murillo said when asked which player he holds in greater esteem. 'I think he's a really complete player. I think even his temper is good, a positive thing. I think what sets him apart is his discipline. I really try to emulate that — his discipline, his routine. I really like him.' Asked by reporters whether he would consider reproducing Ronaldo's trademark 'siu' celebration if he scores against Inter Miami, he responded in the affirmative. 'Yes,' he said. 'Yes, I'll do it.' As for the possibility of swapping shirts with Messi at the final whistle, Murilo said he was happy to let his team-mates fight over the momento. 'I'm not going to get involved in that,' he said. 'There are already a lot of people who are going to be asking for it. It's all good. I'm just focused on marking him.' Palmeiras face Inter Miami at the Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, at 3pm ET.


New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
Real Madrid's Antonio Rudiger allegedly racially abused by Pachuca's Gustavo Cabral at Club World Cup
Real Madrid defender Antonio Rudiger was allegedly racially abused by Pachuca captain Gustavo Cabral during Sunday's Club World Cup group stage fixture. Rudiger, 32, alerted referee Ramon Abatti following the alleged comment in stoppage time of Madrid's 3-1 victory in Charlotte and the match official subsequently performed FIFA's protocol gesture to signal alleged racist abuse. Advertisement Cabral, 39, denied making a racist comment. Real Madrid head coach Xabi Alonso said that an investigation into the incident was under way. 'Toni has told us something, the FIFA protocol is activated and an investigation is under way,' Alonso said during his post-match press conference. 'We believe him. It is unacceptable.' In denying he had used racist language, Cabral said to reporters: 'It was a fight, we collided, he said that I hit him with my hand and then there was an argument and the referee made the sign of racism. In Argentina we say 'cagon de mierda' (a profanity used to call someone a coward), all the time I told him the same thing.' After being told of Cabral's explanation, Rudiger's camp reiterated his position to The Athletic. The Athletic has contacted FIFA for comment. The incident occurred on the stroke of full time at the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte as Rudiger and Cabral had tussled in the Pachuca penalty area, and the Madrid defender went to ground holding his face. The two players then had a verbal exchange before referee Abatti approached the pair. Abatti sent both players away, but Rudiger returned to speak to him, and Abatti subsequently performed an 'X' gesture with his arms. The global standard gesture for players, coaches or officials to flag a racist incident during a game by crossing their arms into an 'X' symbol was introduced by FIFA after a vote at the 74th FIFA Congress in May 2024. The signal is part of the protocol at FIFA tournaments, with world football's governing body stating it is 'designed to empower players, team officials and referees to take a stand against racism'. Pachuca head coach Jaime Lozano told a press conference: 'I only found out now that you are telling me, we haven't talked about it in the dressing room. I haven't spoken to Cabral about it, I couldn't give you any explanation or justification in that sense. Advertisement 'Nothing justifies that, but I will talk to him but knowing him from before this has never happened with him, nor with any of these Pachuca players in our league. I tell you I can put my hands in the fire for my captain.' The Athletic reported on June 16 FIFA had decided not to show any videos, signage or marketing assets in venues hosting the Club World Cup in the United States which explicitly mention challenging racism or discrimination. This represented a significant change from previous FIFA competitions, such as the Women's World Cup in 2023 in Australia and New Zealand and the men's World Cup in 2022 in Qatar. The federation faced criticism from human rights groups, who called for a reverse of the decision. FIFA then displayed anti-racism and discrimination messaging at the tournament for one day on Wednesday to mark International Day for Countering Hate Speech. This included a video explaining FIFA's anti-racism protocols and the 'universal anti-racism gesture' being played on the screen before the fixture between Manchester City and Wyad AC at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. FIFA declined to comment when asked if the current political climate in the U.S. played any part in its decision amid hostility towards companies who support diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. Madrid were 3-1 winners over Pachuca on Sunday despite playing the majority of the game with 10 players following Raul Asencio's 7th-minute sending off.


New York Times
2 hours ago
- New York Times
Sampdoria stay up as Serie B relegation play-off abandoned following crowd trouble
Sampdoria avoided dropping into Italy's third tier for the first time in their history after victory over Salernitana in the Serie B relegation play-off. The game was abandoned in the 65th minute with Sampdoria leading 2-0 on the night and 4-0 on aggregate after crowd trouble at the Arechi Stadium. Advertisement The match was initially suspended as seats in the Salernitana section of the ground were ripped up and thrown onto the pitch, alongside flares, and the referee took both sets of players off the field and back into the changing rooms. After an attempt to resume the game was met with more seats being thrown onto the pitch, the match was abandoned, and Sampdoria's Serie B status for the 2025-26 season was confirmed. Sampdoria had finished 18th in Serie B, the league's final relegation place, but were offered a lifeline at the end of May after Brescia were deducted four points following an investigation into financial irregularities at the club. The first leg of the Serie B relegation play-off had initially been scheduled to take place on May 19 but was postponed amid the uncertainty surrounding Brescia, after Covisoc — Italian football's supervisory body — informed the league of the investigation into the club five days after the conclusion of the regular season. Brescia's eventual points deduction moved Sampdoria up to 17th and meant they contested the first leg of the relegation play-off against Salernitana on June 15, securing a 2-0 win thanks to a goal in either half from Melle Meulensteen and Marco Curto. The second leg had been scheduled for Friday, June 20 but was pushed back to Sunday after a food poisoning outbreak in the Salernitana camp. Salernitana said 21 players and members of staff were impacted and submitted a formal request for the game to be postponed. In Sunday's rescheduled fixture, Massimo Coda gave Sampdoria a 1-0 lead on the night to extend their aggregate advantage in the 38th minute, before Giuseppe Sibilli added a second four minutes into the second half to ensure the visitors' survival. Sampdoria have never played outside Italian football's top two divisions in their 79-year history. Advertisement The club enjoyed a period of success in the 1990s, reaching successive Cup Winners' Cup finals in 1989 and 1990, the latter of which they won. They were crowned Italian champions in 1991 and were beaten by Barcelona in the European Cup final at Wembley the following year. They also won the Coppa Italia on four occasions between 1985 and 1994.