‘Leeds bitterness emerges’ as Sunderland look to win race for fourth Whites target
Sunderland and Leeds United have formed somewhat of a rivalry in the transfer window this summer.
Optimism levels are high on Wearside ahead of Sunderland’s long-awaited return to the Premier League, with some serious ambition being shown in the transfer window.
Summer spending has already surpassed £60million, with the club-record transfer broken twice through the arrivals of Enzo Le Fee and then Habib Diarra.
However, the addition of the latter has sparked some tension between the Black Cats and the Whites, leading to some rather peculiar claims.
Sunderland are having an excellent transfer window
First and foremost, Sunderland are showing their intentions this summer, and that is a necessity if the Black Cats are to have any chance of breaking the trend set by most newly-promoted sides.
Noah Sadiki looks set to sign for the Wearsiders, with deals for Reinildo and Djordje Petrovic also in the pipeline after recent reports.
Adding Diarra to the mix, all four of those players had been linked with a move to Leeds United, as much as they will try to deny it.
| Sunderland | Transfer fee |
| Enzo Le Fee | £19.2m |
| Habib Diarra | £30m |
| Noah Sadiki* | £17.2m* |
Leeds sources have denied that official approaches have been made, though that hasnt prevented fans from both sides taking a few digs at each other, mainly as a bit of friendly banter.
However, these developments have evidently sparked frustration and bitterness at Elland Road, with Joe Donnohue via X now claiming that Sunderland have to “make up a 24-point gap” on the Whites, with their recruitment style one of “sit up and take note”.
Leeds’ business so far has been described as “sensible”, despite the fact that they have signed just one player to improve their starting 11.
Sunderland will start the season level with Leeds
Unless a 24-point deduction is incoming for Regis Le Bris‘ side, Sunderland don’t have any gap to make up in the Premier League, at least not to those who achieved promotion alongside them.
The Black Cats’ league campaign was written off as soon as the automatic promotion spots became a fantasy, making the point difference largely irrelevant given that the other two sides were fighting tooth and nail right up until the final game of the season.
Both Leeds and Sunderland have every chance at avoiding the drop this season, so long as they use their stature to their advantage when it comes to recruitment.
So far, the Wearsiders have, and no doubt the same will be said for Leeds come the end of the window, making this bitternness seem very strange.
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