‘Sunderland handed major Aguerd transfer boost’ as West Ham stance emerges
Sunderland have emerged as a potential suitor for West Ham defender Nayef Aguerd.
The Moroccan defender has fallen badly out of favour with the East Londoners, and he spent the vast majority of the 2024/25 campaign on loan at Real Sociedad.
Sunderland are one of several clubs that are keen on signing Aguerd, with the likes of Sociedad, Roma, Marseille and AC Milan also showing an interest.
The 29-year-old seems destined to depart West Ham permanently this time around, and the Black Cats see him as a realistic option to strengthen Regis Le Bris’ defence.
West Ham unhappy with Roma approach
Sunderland have already held a meeting with West Ham regarding Aguerd’s future, and they have now received a huge boost in their bid to land the centre back.
Florent Ghisolfi and Co. have expressed their willingness to submit an offer worth £7million for the out-of-favour star, who is looking for a way out of his current club.
The outcome of those discussions is currently unknown, but Sunderland will be buoyed by news of a failed approach by Roma.
The Italian giants have made contact with West Ham about a potential loan move, but have seen their efforts knocked back, according to Gianluca Di Marzio (12 July).
It is understood that the capital club’s attempts were thwarted by the fact that the Hammers are seeking a permanent exit for Aguerd, rather than another loan departure.
Roma news is a big boost for Sunderland
There have already been six new additions at the Stadium of Light this summer, and there will now be genuine hope that Aguerd could be the next man to join Le Bris’ squad.
It remains to be seen whether the offer that has been mooted by Sunderland would be deemed as satisfactory, but with one of their key competitors potentially now out of the race, the door is seemingly opening for the Black Cats to swoop in.
| Club | Apps | Goals | Assists |
| Rennes | 78 | 5 | 3 |
| West Ham | 58 | 4 | 1 |
| Real Sociedad | 36 | – | – |
| Dijon | 28 | 4 | – |
With West Ham having no intentions of entertaining a loan deal, they may well value the opportunity to secure a potentially quick and easy sale to the Wearsiders, which would allow them to get the defender off their wage bill as quickly as possible.
The newly-promoted side have already shown that they mean business in the transfer market this summer, and landing Aguerd would be another big statement of intent, given the top-level experience that he boasts on his CV.
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