[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"header-nav":3,"footer-nav":29,"article-le-bris-chase-xhaka-closed":82,"category-counts-nav":96,"related-le-bris-chase-xhaka-closed":106},[4,8,11,14,17,20,23,26],{"label":5,"to":6,"exact":7},"Home","\u002F",true,{"label":9,"to":10},"World Cup","\u002Fworldcup",{"label":12,"to":13},"Standings","\u002Fstandings",{"label":15,"to":16},"Football","\u002Fcategory\u002Ffootball",{"label":18,"to":19},"Basketball","\u002Fcategory\u002Fbasketball",{"label":21,"to":22},"Tennis","\u002Fcategory\u002Ftennis",{"label":24,"to":25},"F1","\u002Fcategory\u002Ff1",{"label":27,"to":28},"Long Reads","\u002Fcategory\u002Flong-reads",{"brand":30,"columns":32,"tagline":80,"copyright":81},{"description":31},"In-depth sports journalism covering football, basketball, tennis, F1, and beyond. Daily analysis, long reads, and expert opinion.",[33,51,59],{"heading":34,"links":35},"Leagues",[36,39,42,45,48],{"label":37,"to":38},"Premier League","\u002Ftag\u002Fpremier-league",{"label":40,"to":41},"La Liga","\u002Ftag\u002Fla-liga",{"label":43,"to":44},"NBA","\u002Ftag\u002Fnba",{"label":46,"to":47},"Formula 1","\u002Ftag\u002Fformula-1",{"label":49,"to":50},"Champions League","\u002Ftag\u002Fchampions-league",{"heading":52,"links":53},"Content",[54,56,57],{"label":55,"to":16},"Analysis",{"label":27,"to":28},{"label":58,"to":16},"Data & Stats",{"heading":60,"links":61},"Company",[62,65,68,71,74,77],{"label":63,"to":64},"Terms of Service","\u002Fservice",{"label":66,"to":67},"Privacy Policy","\u002Fprivacy",{"label":69,"to":70},"Editorial Policy","\u002Feditorial",{"label":72,"to":73},"Contact Us","\u002Fcontact",{"label":75,"to":76},"About Us","\u002Fabout",{"label":78,"to":79},"Website Disclaimer","\u002Fdisclaimer","Built for the love of sport","© SportPulse. All rights reserved.",{"title":83,"slug":84,"category":85,"badge":86,"author":87,"excerpt":88,"date":89,"readTime":90,"image":91,"imageAlt":83,"tags":92,"body":94,"_path":95},"Le Bris: Sunderland Hold Firm on Xhaka with €9m Bid","le-bris-chase-xhaka-closed","football","Football: Transfers","Marcus Wright","Régis Le Bris confirms Granit Xhaka staying at Sunderland despite Chelsea's renewed interest, highlighting the midfielder's leadership amid tactical shifts.","2026-07-26 16:54:09","1 min read","\u002Fimages\u002Farticles\u002Fle-bris-chase-xhaka-closed.webp",[37,93],"Transfer News","Sunderland manager Régis Le Bris has firmly shut down reports of a potential transfer for captain Granit Xhaka. The 33-year-old midfielder remains key after helping secure a Europa League qualification spot last season. Chelsea have placed an **£8m bid** to rejoin him with former Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso, but Le Bris insists Xhaka’s future lies at the Stadium of Light. \n\nSpeaking after Tuesday’s training session, Le Bris addressed the speculation head-on: ‘Granit is happy here. His focus is on leading Sunderland forward. There are no negotiations, and there will be none.’\n\nChelsea’s pursuit reflects their need for experienced midfield depth under Alonso, who worked closely with Xhaka at Bayer Leverkusen. Despite the financial offer, Sunderland reject any move. Le Bris highlighted Xhaka’s off-field value: ‘We value what he brings—not just on the pitch but off it too.’\n\nFollowing Sunday’s decisive win, teammates praised Xhaka’s calmness in critical moments, including transitions and defensive setup during matches. One noted how he rallied morale amid scrutiny—especially relevant given his age relative to younger squad rivals.\n\nXhaka’s versatility suits multiple formations, a trait that appealed to Alonso at Leverkusen. With fixtures against top-half sides ahead, retaining consistency demands keeping core players intact. Sunderland will not sell without alignment to club objectives, even if Chelsea escalates interest.","\u002Farticles\u002Fle-bris-chase-xhaka-closed",[97,98,99,100,85,101,102,103,104,105],"analysis","basketball","cricket","f1","general","golf","mma","long-reads","tennis",[107,120,129],{"id":108,"stem":108,"path":109,"title":110,"category":85,"badge":55,"badgeType":111,"author":112,"authorRole":113,"authorInitials":114,"date":115,"readTime":116,"image":117,"imageAlt":110,"tags":118,"excerpt":119},"nico-williams-criticises-de-la-cruz-tackle-spain-uruguay","\u002Farticles\u002Fnico-williams-criticises-de-la-cruz-tackle-spain-uruguay","Williams Slams 'Unnecessary' De la Cruz Tackle as Injury Cloud Darkens Spain's Camp","category","Elena Rossi","SportPulse Contributor","ER","2026-06-28 03:20:15","6 min read","https:\u002F\u002Fichef.bbci.co.uk\u002Face\u002Fstandard\u002F976\u002Fcpsprodpb\u002F31ba\u002Flive\u002F6fa68180-7296-11f1-a011-254b2fabf81c.jpg","La Liga, International Football","Spain's explosive winger questions the recklessness of a challenge that threatens to derail his season rhythm.",{"id":121,"stem":121,"path":122,"title":123,"category":85,"badge":124,"badgeType":111,"author":112,"authorRole":113,"authorInitials":114,"date":125,"readTime":116,"image":126,"imageAlt":123,"tags":127,"excerpt":128},"connolly-appointed-derry-city-director-of-football","\u002Farticles\u002Fconnolly-appointed-derry-city-director-of-football","Connolly's New Chapter: Derry City Bet on Structure Over Stardom","Feature","2026-06-30 05:36:35","https:\u002F\u002Fichef.bbci.co.uk\u002Face\u002Fstandard\u002F976\u002Fcpsprodpb\u002F7c4f\u002Flive\u002Fbc9a8050-657f-11f1-9f01-693d064aea27.jpg","League of Ireland, League of Ireland Premier Division","Derry City appoint Mark Connolly as director of football, signaling a long-term structural vision for the Brandywell.",{"id":130,"stem":130,"path":131,"title":132,"category":85,"badge":133,"badgeType":134,"author":112,"authorRole":113,"authorInitials":114,"date":135,"readTime":136,"image":137,"imageAlt":132,"tags":138,"excerpt":139},"spain-merino-late-winner-portugal-world-cup-tactical-breakdown","\u002Farticles\u002Fspain-merino-late-winner-portugal-world-cup-tactical-breakdown","Merino's Extra-Time Stunner Sends Spain Past Portugal","Match Report","tag","2026-07-06 22:01:00","7 min read","https:\u002F\u002Fichef.bbci.co.uk\u002Face\u002Fstandard\u002F976\u002Fcpsprodpb\u002Fbb2e\u002Flive\u002Fec2a6720-7981-11f1-a627-714adb4eed6e.jpg","World Cup, Spain, Portugal","Spain's superior pressing structure and midfield control ultimately broke Portugal's defensive shell in a tense World Cup knockout clash."]