Sunderland submit £23m+ transfer offer for Bafodé Diakité, Lille respond
Sunderland are continuing to make inroads in the transfer market to give them the best chance of succeeding in the Premier League.
Régis Le Bris has already made six ambitious signings in a bid to strengthen his squad, targeting exciting talents from around Europe who can contribute to both the present and the future.
However, the Mackems have only added Reinildo to their back line, and are in desperate need of further defensive reinforcements.
True to their form, they have targeted another young player, Bafodé Diakité, as Le Bris once again looks to the French market.
Lille name price after rejecting Sunderland's bid for Diakité
Le Bris is desperate to bring in a reliable central defender following the injury to club captain Luke O'Nien, who played 49 games last season.
Fellow centre-back Ali Alese is expected to miss the start of the season, while Sunderland still need to replace Chris Mepham, who has returned to Bournemouth.
As reported by L'Equipe (17 July), the Black Cats and Bournemouth have had offers of £23.3million for Diakité rejected by Lille.
| Season | Appearances | Goals | Assists | Minutes Played |
| 2024/25 | 48 | 4 | 1 | 4,282' |
| 2023/24 | 28 | 6 | 2 | 2,159' |
| 2022/23 | 36 | 3 | - | 2,925' |
Bournemouth sent a similar offer and received the same response, with the Ligue 1 side holding out for a fee around £35million to agree to the sale of their defender.
Diakité has been an ever-present for the French side since arriving from Toulouse in August 2022, and was integral to their UEFA Champions League run.
Diakité would be an excellent signing for Sunderland
While Lille's asking price for Diakité is well above what the Mackems initially offered, it is a deal they should seriously consider.
The 24-year-old is the perfect age profile for the Tyneside club, but already has plenty of top-level experience and did not look out of place in Europe's elite competition.
The centre-back is also very physically imposing and is a menace from set pieces, all of which bodes very well for adapting to the Premier League.
He is also comfortable progressing the ball from the back, which will aid Le Bris in his desire to build a modern, exciting side that can stay in the top division.
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