Sunderland face ‘final Lauriente call’ after transfer developments in Italy
Sunderland are undergoing substantial changes at the Stadium of Light ahead of their Premier League return.
Keen to do their transfer business early, the Black Cats have already sealed several eye-catching deals this summer.
The North East outfit have broken their transfer record twice already, with Enzo Le Fee and then Habib Diarra sealing their moves to Sunderland.
With transfer news relentless, there has been a significant update on the Wearsiders’ pursuit of Armand Lauriente.
Lauriente transfer update emerges from Italy
Sunderland have enquired about Lauriente’s availability this summer after a stellar season in Serie B.
Lauriente bagged 19 goals in all competitions as Sassuolo, like the Black Cats, achieved promotion to the top flight.
| Armand Lauriente’s 2024/25 Serie B statistics | Total |
| Appearances | 33 |
| Goals | 18 |
| Goal conversion | 22% |
| Assists | 5 |
| Big chances created | 6 |
| Accurate passes | 16.6 (80%) |
Sunderland and Sassuolo entered into official negotiations over a deal for the French winger, but they have hit a snag.
While the Wearsiders’ interest in Lauriente is concrete, there is still a gap between the Serie A side’s demand and the first offer from the English club, according to Gianluigi Longari (7 July).
Although the 26-year-old plays his football in Italy, there is a connection to Regis Le Bris going back to his FC Lorient days.
The winger worked under Le Bris at the Ligue 1 club during the 2022 pre-season before he signed for the Italian outfit.
Now, it appears that the North East club must decide whether to come back with another offer for Lauriente.
Sunderland close in on winger amid Lauriente chase
While Sunderland may have hit a hurdle in their pursuit of Lauriente, it seems they are closing on on the signing of another winger.
Chemsdine Talbi is on the verge of joining the Wearsiders from Club Brugge after a £19.8million package was agreed last week.
It is unlikely that the deal to sign Talbi would affect Sunderland’s pursuit of Lauriente, given their different positions and that negotiations have been happening simultaneously.
Now, eyes will be on Sunderland to see how they progress with their chase of Lauriente, having already spent big chunks of their budget.
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