Sunderland eye move for Montpellier defender as transfer decisions to be made
Sunderland may not know what league they will be playing in next season but preparations for the transfer window are seemingly still ongoing.
The Black Cats are preparing for Saturday’s play-off final against Sheffield United at Wembley with a return to the Premier League on the line.
Regis Le Bris and his charges will be fully focused on that potentially lucrative clash and earning their spot back among the elite of English football.
Burnley and Leeds United are, of course, already promoted have earned their place in the top flight via their league placing.
And Sunderland could be battling Leeds off the pitch in the transfer window in the coming weeks.
Sunderland plot move for Mali defender
Regardless of whether Sunderland can get over the line against the Blades, there will be work going on behind the scenes to improve the squad next season.
To than end, Midi Libre (19 May) has named Sunderland as one of the sides interested in Mali defender Modibo Sagnan.
The French outlet claims the 26-year-old is one of several players facing an uncertain future at Montpellier following their relegation from Ligue 1, and they now face a transfer decision on which players to try and cash in on following their demotion.
Sagnan’s contract is set to expire in the summer of 2028 but could be one of several players the French side look to move on.
He was last month also linked to Leeds United by Foot Mercato, with Daniel Farke’s side of course already able to plan for life in the Premier League.
Sunderland fans should trust the process
Sunderland already have some strong options in the centre of defence but the powers that be at the Stadium of Light have proven pretty adept at getting recruitment right in recent seasons.
Therefore, if Sagnan is on the Black Cats’ radar then there should be trust in the process that he can be a good addition to Le Bris’ squad.
The defender has built up a big CV of different clubs over his career thus far, having spent three separate loan spells away from Spanish side Real Sociedad after joining from RC Lens in 2019.
The Malian joined Montpellier from FC Utrecht in February 2024, and has been a mainstay at the heart of Montpellier’s defence, scoring twice in 27 appearances this season while also tallying up an impressive 2.5 tackles won per game.
Sagnan couldn’t help Montpellier survive the drop as they finished bottom of Ligue 1 with just 16 points, which has resulted in several first-team players facing an uncertain future, which Sunderland could use to their advantage.
Ultimately, it may not become clear just who Sunderland are genuinely targeting until the outcome of the play-off final, but plans are clearly in progress.