Sunderland and Leeds United ‘best placed’ to sign ‘fabulous’ £21.5m midfielder
Sunderland will be determined to beat Leeds United to an incredible forward signing this summer.
The Black Cats prospered in a 3-0 victory against West Ham upon their return to the Premier League.
In several aspects, this victory can be attributed to their stellar transfer window. Granit Xhaka arrived from Bayer Leverkusen last month and is already creating havoc in the midfield.
Habibi Diarra started against the Hammers despite having no Premier League experience beforehand. Sunderland are looking for ways to compete, and may have stumbled upon another answer.
Sunderland and Leeds best placed to sign Christantus Uche
As reported by Diario AS on Monday 18 August, Sunderland and Leeds are best placed to sign Getafe midfielder Christantus Uche.
The winger bagged one goal and an assist in Getafe’s 2-0 win over Celta Vigo in La Liga on Saturday. Sunderland can unlock this transfer by paying his £21.5million release clause.
- Getafe signed Uche on a free transfer in February 2024
- Uche signed a four-year deal that will run out in 2028
This is not the first time that Uche has made headlines for Sunderland, and for good reason.
In quotes provided by Soccernet on 23 May, when asked about Uche, Getafe coach Jose Bordalas said: “He’s a fabulous kid, we have a lot of affection for him.
“All players go through a process. He reached professional football without going through any stages, and at times it was difficult for him.
“We tried to help him, and he’s helped us a lot, too. It was a risky gamble; there’s room for improvement, but he’s had a great season.”
His transfer would follow Nordi Mukiele, who signed for Sunderland from Paris Saint-Germain this month.
The Ghanaian midfielder will find fierce competition if he signs for the Black Cats this summer. But his outrageous season in La Liga demonstrates that he has the potential to make shockwaves in the Premier League.
- Read more: What will Nordi Mukiele bring to Sunderland?
Who would Uche replace in the starting lineup?
Uche would land at the Stadium of Light with the hope of securing a starting spot on Regis Le Bris’ side.
Xhaka was Sunderland’s leading midfielder against West Ham. But it seems more likely that Uche will need to eclipse Chris Rigg before locking down a place in the starting 11.
| Player | Season | Appearances | Goals | Assists | Minutes |
| Chris Rigg | 2024/25 | 47 | 4 | 1 | 3.311′ |
| Christantus Uche | 2024/25 | 38 | 3 | 7 | 2.844′ |
The 18-year-old started 36 games in the Championship last season and accumulated over 3000 minutes in all competitions. Meanwhile, the 22-year-old started 30 games in La Liga last season, with over 2800 minutes in all competitions.
If Uche wants a chance at starting for the Black Cats, Rigg is the one he needs to beat.
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